The Electoral Enigma: Why EVMs Sit Out India's Vice-Presidential Race

In a nation increasingly accustomed to the efficiency of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for casting votes in general and state assembly elections, it might come as a surprise to many that these very machines are not employed during India's Vice-Presidential election. This isn't an oversight or a lack of trust in technology; rather, it's a deliberate choice rooted deeply in the unique mechanics and legal framework governing this significant electoral process.

The primary reason for the absence of EVMs in the Vice-Presidential election lies in the fundamental difference in the voting system.

EVMs are expertly designed for "First Past the Post" elections, where voters simply choose one candidate from a list. The candidate with the most votes wins. This direct, single-choice system is perfectly suited for EVMs, which record a definitive vote for one option and then tally these choices.

However, the Vice-Presidential election in India operates on a completely different principle: "Proportional Representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote." This complex system requires electors to rank candidates in order of their preference, rather than selecting just one.

A voter indicates their first choice, second choice, third choice, and so on, using numerical preferences on a ballot paper. This system is designed to ensure that the eventual winner has broad support and that votes aren't 'wasted' if a preferred candidate is eliminated.

EVMs, in their current design, are simply not equipped to handle such a preferential voting mechanism.

They lack the functionality to record multiple preferences or to manage the intricate process of vote transfer, where surplus votes from winning candidates or votes from eliminated candidates are re-distributed based on subsequent preferences until a candidate achieves the required quota. This entire procedure is inherently manual and requires physical ballot papers.

Furthermore, the electorate for the Vice-Presidential election is vastly different from a general election.

It consists exclusively of members of both Houses of Parliament – the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. This limited and specific pool of voters, coupled with the open ballot system often employed where party representatives might need to show their marked ballot to an authorized agent, makes EVMs unsuitable.

EVMs are fundamentally designed to ensure the secrecy of a single vote for a mass electorate, a principle that clashes with the specific requirements of the Vice-Presidential poll.

The use of traditional ballot papers allows for the necessary flexibility and transparency in this unique electoral scenario.

They facilitate the clear marking of preferences, enable robust scrutiny during the counting process involving transfers of votes, and align with the established parliamentary procedures for such an election. While EVMs symbolize modernity and efficiency in mass elections, the time-honored system of ballot papers remains the appropriate and necessary tool for the nuanced and constitutionally mandated process of electing India's Vice-President.