Unraveling the Ballot: Why India's Vice-Presidential Election Still Relies on Paper

As India gears up for another crucial Vice-Presidential election, a curious detail often sparks public interest: why do these high-stakes contests still rely on traditional paper ballots, while general elections have embraced the efficiency of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)? With the electoral battle heating up between the NDA's formidable candidate, CP Radhakrishnan, and the INDIA bloc's challenger, Sudershan Reddy, understanding this unique electoral mechanism becomes more pertinent than ever.

The simple answer lies in the fundamental difference in the voting systems.

Unlike the "first past the post" method used in Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections, which are perfectly suited for EVMs, the Vice-Presidential election employs a sophisticated system of Proportional Representation by means of a Single Transferable Vote (STV). This intricate process is designed to ensure a more equitable representation and demands a voting method far more nuanced than a simple button press.

Imagine a ballot where you don't just pick one candidate, but rank them in order of your preference: 1, 2, 3, and so on.

This is the essence of STV. Here's how it unfolds: Voters, who in this case are Members of Parliament from both Houses, mark their preferences on a physical ballot paper. To win, a candidate must secure a specific 'quota' of first-preference votes. If no one meets this threshold in the initial count, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated.

Crucially, their votes aren't discarded; instead, they are redistributed to the remaining candidates based on the second preferences marked on those very ballot papers. This elimination and redistribution cycle continues until one candidate achieves the required quota, ensuring a broader consensus.

This intricate process highlights why EVMs, in their current design, are fundamentally incompatible with STV.

EVMs are built for a direct, one-vote-per-candidate scenario. They simply don't possess the functionality to process multiple preferences, track vote transfers, or manage the complex elimination and redistribution algorithms required by the STV system. The Election Commission of India has consistently reiterated that EVMs, while highly effective for direct elections, are not equipped for the proportional representation model.

It's important to remember that the Vice-Presidential election isn't an isolated case.

Similar proportional representation systems using paper ballots are employed for the Presidential election, elections to the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Parliament), and State Legislative Council elections. These elections prioritize the representation of various groups and political nuances over the straightforward majority principle, necessitating a more flexible and robust voting mechanism like the STV with physical ballots.

As CP Radhakrishnan and Sudershan Reddy prepare to face the electoral college of MPs, the traditional paper ballot will once again be the silent arbiter of their political destinies.

The election, scheduled for August 9, promises a swift outcome with counting immediately following the polls. This age-old method, while seemingly less advanced than EVMs, remains a cornerstone for preserving the unique democratic principles underpinning India's proportional representation elections.