Concerns about hacking are behind the growing call to switch from electronic voting machines to paper ballots

Following the Maharashtra incident, calls to switch to paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines (EVOs) have increased. Political figures have criticized EVMs for being opaque and perhaps weakening democracy.

The controversy over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in Indian elections has been rekindled by a recent event in Maharashtra. The scandal started when it was said that a mobile phone was carried into a counting center by a relative of Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Waikar in order to produce an OTP that unlocked an EVM. An 'unlocking' OTP is purportedly generated by the phone when it is linked to the EVM. 

The requests from Indian political personalities to switch from electronic voting machines (EVMs) to paper ballots have increased in light of this occurrence. 

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, has been outspoken in his condemnation of EVMs. He maintained that going back to paper voting would preserve democracy's original principles. 

"Just as justice should not only be served but also appear to have been served, so should democracy not only prevail but must unquestionably appear to be prevalent," he said on X (previously Twitter) on Tuesday. Paper ballots, not electronic voting machines, are utilized in virtually all advanced democracies during elections. To preserve the authentic essence of our democracy, we too must strive in that direction."

Additionally, the Congress party supported the idea of using ballot papers in lieu of EVMs. Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader, escalated the criticism when he called EVMs a "black box" and said that the government was suppressing opposition to the system. He drew attention to the election's lack of openness, which he feels threatens democracy.

President of the Maharashtra Congress Nana Patole questioned why the federal government was unwilling to go back to paper ballots. He drew attention to issues with the accuracy of EVMs and provided instances from wealthy nations that still utilize paper ballots, such as the US and Japan. "Voting is our fundamental right," said Patole. People are asked if their vote will be counted in favor of the politician they support. Why is ballot paper not used by the federal government for voting purposes? 

Priyanka Chaturvedi, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to reassure people that the polls would be "free and fair" and that "constitutional methods" would not be harmed. 

D Raja, the general secretary of the CPI, too questioned the validity of EVMs.

The billionaire businessman Elon Musk also advocated for doing away with EVMs in a recent post on X. "Electronic voting machines should be eliminated," said Elon Musk. Even with the low probability, the danger of being hacked by AI or humans is still too great." Many Indians took exception to this, even though Musk was probably talking to US EVMs.

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