Election Commission of India Launches Nationwide Initiative to Promote Awareness of Electronic Voting Machines and Paper Trail Systems Before 2024 General Elections. Unveiling India’s ambitious awareness drive for the 2024 elections, focusing on 2024 education. A nationwide effort for a stronger democracy.
With the aim of enhancing transparency and credibility in the electoral process, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched a nationwide program to promote awareness of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verified paper audit trails (VVPATs) among voters, political parties, and other stakeholders. The initiative comes ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which are expected to see high levels of participation and scrutiny. Through this program, the ECI hopes to educate citizens about the benefits and security features of EVMs and VVPATs, as well as address any concerns or misconceptions they may have
- Nationwide Awareness Programme: Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha General Elections, a nationwide programme is being conducted to educate citizens about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs).
- Objective: The programme aims to provide firsthand experience of the voting process and increase familiarity with EVMs and VVPATs.
- Focus on Education: It includes imparting knowledge about the basic features of these machines, explaining how to cast votes step-by-step, and teaching voters to verify their choices using VVPAT slips.
- Physical Demonstrations: The initiative uses physical demonstrations to help understand EVM and VVPAT functionality, dispel misconceptions, and boost voter confidence.
- Wide Outreach: The programme covers 3464 Assembly Constituencies across 613 Districts in 31 States/UTs. It excludes the 5 states that had recent polls.
- Demonstration Centres and Mobile Vans: Over 3500 demonstration centres and around 4250 mobile vans are set up for demonstrating EVM/VVPAT functionality to the public.
- Social Media Updates: CEOs and DEOs are actively updating social media platforms to enhance the programme’s reach.
- ECI Instructions: As per Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines, state Chief Electoral Officers should begin awareness campaigns about 3 months prior to the election announcement.
- Campaign Schedule: The District Election Officers (DEOs) prepare and share a schedule for the campaign, which is also communicated to political parties and local media.
- Standard Operating Procedure: The Commission has established detailed SOPs for the use of EVMs in Training and Awareness (T&A), including protocols for handling, storage, and destruction of VVPAT slips post-training.
- Transparency with Political Parties: The list of EVMs used for T&A is provided to political parties for acknowledgement, ensuring transparency.
- Enhancing Voter Awareness: The initiative is crucial for enhancing voter awareness and participation, especially among new voters who might be using EVMs and VVPATs for the first time.
- Role of Political Parties: Political parties are also encouraged to participate in this awareness drive and help educate their supporters and the general public about the correct use of EVMs and VVPATs.
- Collaboration with Local Media: Local media plays a key role in this campaign, disseminating information and educating the public about the voting process and the importance of each vote.
- Training of Election Officials: Election officials are provided with extensive training on using EVMs and VVPATs to ensure a smooth and efficient voting process.
- Feedback Mechanism: A feedback system is in place to gauge the effectiveness of the awareness campaign and make necessary improvements.
- Focus on Rural and Remote Areas: Special attention is given to rural and remote areas to ensure that voters in these regions are also well-informed and comfortable with the voting process.
- Accessibility for Differently-Abled Voters: The programme includes measures to make the voting process accessible to differently-abled voters, ensuring an inclusive electoral process.
- Security Measures: Robust security measures are implemented to protect the EVMs and VVPATs, both during the awareness programme and the elections.
- Ensuring Fair Elections: This comprehensive awareness programme is part of the larger goal of ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections in the country.
The focus of this initiative is to ensure that every voter is well-informed and confident about the voting process, which is crucial for the integrity and success of the democratic process in India.
