Lok Sabha Question No. 272 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-03
Subject: Remote Voting Machine
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: K. Subbarayan, Manickam Tagore B, Anto  Antony, Gaurav Gogoi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 272

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 03 rd  FEBRUARY, 2023

## REMOTE VOTING MACHINE

## 272. SHRI SUBBARAYAN K.:

SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B.:

SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

SHRI GAURAV GOGOI:

## Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Election  Commission  of  India  (ECI)  has  developed  a prototype multi constituency Remote Electronic Voting Machines (RVM) and proposes to introduce  it  for  the  upcoming  election  in  the  country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the  machines  have  capacity  to  handle  multiple  constituencies from one remote booth and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  ECI  had  called  an  all-party  meeting  to  demonstrate  and discuss  the  RVM  for  domestic  migrant  voters  and  solicited  views  of electorate  for  changes  in  legislation,  election  procedure  and  voting method;
- (d) if so, the details of the views expressed by various political parties in the said meeting and the outcome thereof;
- (e) whether the introduction of RVM would increase fake votes and if so, the manner in which the presiding officer will identify the genuinity of votes; and
- (f) whether the RVM is also proposed for the use of NRI voters and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a): The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed that M/s. Electronic Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) under the guidance of  the  ECI  and  the  Technical  Expert  Committee  of  the  ECI  has developed a prototype of Multi Constituency Remote Electronic Voting

Machine  (RVM).    Further,  the  ECI  has  informed  that  they  have  not proposed  to  introduce  the  RVM  for  the  upcoming  election  in  the country.

- (b): The  ECI  has  informed  that  the  machines  have  capacity  to  handle multiple constituencies from one remote booth.
- (c) to (d): The ECI has circulated a Concept Note on improving voter participation of domestic migrants using remote voting dated 28 th December, 2022 to all  National/State  political  parties inter  alia including  matters  like defining a 'Migrant voter', addressing the territorial concept, the method of remote voting and counting of votes, enforcement of Model Code of Conduct,  setting  up  of  controlled  environment  to  ensure  free  and  fair voting  and so on. Subsequently, a discussion with the political  parties was  conducted  on  16 th January,  2023.    The  ECI  has  solicited  written views/comments  of  the  Political  Parties  by  28 th February,  2023  on various legal, administrative and technological issues as contained in the Concept Note and beyond.
- (e): The ECI has informed that the introduction of RVM would not increase fake  votes.  The  prototype  RVM  developed  by  ECIL  is  a  robust  and stand-alone system based on the existing EVMs, under the guidance of the Technical Expert Committee. Independently, various statutes viz . the Representation  of  People  Act,  1950  and  the  Representation  of  People Act,  1951,  the  Conduct  of  Election  Rules,  etc.  and  various  guidelines and instructions of the ECI will ensure that the confirmation/ genuineness of voter identity is verified.
- (f): The ECI has informed that the RVM is not proposed for the use of NRI voters.

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