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<keyword id="20051732" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Electronic-Voting-Machines" source="keywords">Electronic Voting Machines</keyword> (EVMs) have been at the heart of modernizing voting processes worldwide, including in the US and India. However, their journey has been fraught with issues that highlight both the promise and pitfalls of digital voting. The US, once heavily reliant on EVMs, has pulled back significantly in recent years, largely due to concerns about security and transparency. This shift provides an intriguing comparison to India’s continued reliance on EVMs, even as the country incorporates additional checks like <keyword id="23828650" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Voter-Verified-Paper-Audit-Trails" source="keywords">Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails</keyword> (VVPAT) to strengthen trust in the system. <h2>The US’s love-hate relationship with EVMs</h2>The history of voting machines in the United States goes back over a century, with early mechanical voting machines (lever systems) introduced in the late 1800s and dominating for much of the 20th century. Later came punch-card systems, which became infamous after the 2000 election’s “hanging chad” debacle in Florida, where authorities had to painfully and manually recount the votes over weeks. Following that crisis, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) in 2002, pushing states to replace outdated voting systems with modern, computerised Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) machines, believing they would improve accessibility and accuracy. However, these touchscreen DRE machines introduced new problems. By 2016, revelations about foreign hacking attempts on voter databases and research highlighting vulnerabilities in DRE software underscored the need for better security and transparency. A major turning point came with the 2020 presidential election and subsequent unfounded accusations of fraud, which amplified public distrust in purely electronic voting systems. Today, around 95% of American voters use systems with a paper trail to back up their votes, typically through optical scanners that read paper ballots and enable auditability, while only a small fraction of jurisdictions still use paperless EVMs. <h2>Adding paper trails</h2>In both the US and India, ensuring vote integrity has become central to the discussion around EVMs. While India was slower to adopt VVPAT, being trialled for the first time in the 2014 General Elections, this feature now serves a role similar to the hybrid systems the US has embraced, enabling verification and recounts if discrepancies arise. VVPAT, which prints a paper record of each vote that voters can see, was introduced by the Election Commission of India to build trust and create a tangible trail for audit purposes. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="115002787" title="Here&amp;#39;s what Trump&amp;#39;s victory means for Indian markets" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The US, in contrast, leans more heavily on optical scan machines, which directly scan paper ballots filled out by voters, leaving a clear, physical record from the outset. This trend gained momentum as DRE vulnerabilities were exposed; touchscreens without paper verification were phased out across much of the country. States like Virginia and Pennsylvania, for example, moved away from pure DREs after facing issues with hacked machines and machine malfunctions. <h2>Different paths, shared concerns</h2>While the US and India have approached voting technology differently, the challenges they face — such as security, transparency, and logistical concerns — are strikingly similar. In the US, outdated EVM infrastructure remains an issue, with hundreds of voting districts still using machines from over a decade ago, creating risks tied to malfunction, lack of parts, and security flaws. These problems are mitigated somewhat by the hybrid model (optical scanning with paper ballots), which ensures that even if a machine malfunctions, votes can still be counted manually. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114965373" title="Joe Rogan endorsed Donald Trump, saying Elon Musk made a &amp;#39;compelling case&amp;#39; for the former president" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>In India, EVMs have faced skepticism from opposition parties, with doubts raised over potential tampering and the lack of a physical vote count. While the introduction of VVPAT has helped address some of these concerns, experts argue that the level of transparency in Indian elections could benefit from further measures. The presence of VVPAT helps create an auditable trail, but questions remain about the random sampling method used in verifying these paper trails. As technology advances, both countries continue to refine their approaches to electronic voting, adapting to meet the demands of secure, reliable, and transparent elections. The US experience, however, offers a lesson on the importance of hybrid systems, especially when voter confidence is paramount in safeguarding democracy.

America’s complicated history with EVMs, and why the country almost stopped using them exclusively

The <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword> has received eight applications from aggrieved <keyword id="19902220" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="candidates" source="keywords">candidates</keyword>, including those from the <keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BJP" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="BJP">BJP</keyword> and the <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword>, for verification of tampering or modification in micro-controller chips embedded in the EVMs post declaration of Lok Sabha election results on June 4. Terming the suspicion of manipulation of the electronic voting machines "unfounded", the <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court" source="keywords">Supreme Court</keyword> had on April 26 rejected the demand for reverting to the old paper ballot system. But at the same time, the top court had opened a window for the aggrieved unsuccessful candidates securing second and third places in the poll results and allowed them to seek verification of micro-controller chips embedded in five per cent EVMs per assembly constituency on a written request upon the payment of a fee to the poll panel. BJP's Ahmednagar (Maharashtra) candidate Sujay Vikhe-Patil has sought verification of the machines from 40 <keyword id="20300567" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="polling-stations" source="keywords">polling stations</keyword>. Vikhe-Patil had lost to Nilesh Lanke of NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction. A YSRCP and a DMDK candidate too have applied for the verification, according to data shared by the poll panel. According to the EC, eight parliamentary seats spread across six states are involved. The total number of polling stations for which verification has been sought is 92. Candidates who come second or third and seek verification of the EVMs will have to pay Rs 47,200 per EVM set, according to the standard operating procedure issued by the EC on June 1. According to the EC's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the cost submitted by manufacturers BEL and ECIL to carry out EVM "check and verification" is Rs 40,000 (plus 18 per cent GST) per set of EVM. "In addition to the cost incurred by the manufacturers, there are also administrative costs like cost of labour to shift the units, CCTV coverage, electricity charges, videography costs and various other operational costs at the district election officer level," the document said. It, however, said to make the <keyword id="21143428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="verification-process" source="keywords">verification process</keyword> "more accessible" and inclusive in compliance to the referred mandate of the Supreme Court, it is decided that instead of going purely by the actual economic costs incurred, the administrative expenditure on <keyword id="22122362" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="EVM-verification" source="keywords">EVM verification</keyword> will be treated as "election expenditure and borne by the central or state government, as the case may be". "Accordingly, the administrative charges will be waived for the applicants -- the same shall not be charged to the applicants," it noted. The charges for EVM verification to be paid by the applicant candidate is for the current financial year 2024-25 -- till March 31, 2025, it said. An EVM set has at least one Ballot Unit, one Control Unit and a <keyword id="19975285" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vvpat" source="keywords">VVPAT</keyword> machine. Separately, YSRCP and BJD candidates from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha respectively have also applied for EVM check following the announcement of assembly results on June 4. Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh were held along with the Lok Sabha elections. In the verification exercise for assembly poll results, total assembly constituencies involved are three where verification has been sought in 26 polling stations. According to the SOP, the concerned state chief electoral officer (CEO) was required to communicate to the manufacturers the consolidated list of applicants within 30 days of the date of declaration of results -- by July 4. The CEOs have already conveyed the same to the manufacturers 15 days ahead of the schedule, the EC said. The technical SOP enumerating the methodology and steps for checking and verification of burnt memory/ micro-controller of the EVM units will be issued by the EC in due course.

EC receives applications for EVM verification on 8 LS seats in 6 states

The debate over the safety and sanctity of electoral processes using <keyword id="20051732" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="electronic-voting-machines" source="keywords">electronic voting machines</keyword> (<keyword id="20059791" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EVMs" source="keywords">EVMs</keyword>) have been a long, and often unfruitful, discourse across most electoral democracies. However, on Sunday, a similar debate in <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> took an interesting turn as the richest person on the world and India's former Minister of State for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology engaged over the same topic on social media. In a Sunday showdown on X (formerly Twitter), former Union minister <keyword id="19957657" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajeev-Chandrasekhar" source="keywords">Rajeev Chandrasekhar</keyword> took on tech magnate <keyword id="19903807" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Elon-Musk" source="keywords">Elon Musk</keyword> over the security of EVMs. Musk had raised eyebrows by labeling EVMs as risky due to potential hacking threats, but Chandrasekhar was quick to fire back, calling Musk's claim "a huge sweeping generalization". The debate ignited when Musk suggested scrapping EVMs entirely, citing hacking risks from both humans and AI, referencing voting irregularities reported in Puerto Rico's primary elections. Responding to the independent US presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr's concerns over voting irregularities in Puerto Rico, Musk posted, "We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high." Similar doubts have been cast over the use of EVMs by the Indian election commission for the last two decades. However, ever since several sweeping victories of the ruling party BJP at both central and state levels since 2014, such allegations have gained pace from multiple mainstream opposition leaders. Chandrasekhar was clearly not happy with Elon's claims. He countered, "This is a huge sweeping generalization statement that implies no one can build secure digital hardware. Wrong." He stressed that Indian EVMs are a different breed compared to their global counterparts. "Indian EVMs are custom-designed, secure, and isolated from any network. No connectivity, no Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Internet—there is no way in. Factory programmed controllers that cannot be reprogrammed," he elaborated. Doubling down on his retort, Chandrasekhar offered to educate Musk on the secure architecture of Indian EVMs. "We would be happy to run a tutorial, Elon," he quipped. Musk, undeterred, responded with a succinct retort: "Anything can be hacked." <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Text"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Congress leader <keyword id="19895780" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rahul-gandhi" source="keywords">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> also joined the fray soon, expressing his concerns about the opacity of Indian EVMs. He described them as a "black box" and argued that the lack of <keyword id="19942992" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="transparency" source="keywords">transparency</keyword> undermines democracy. "Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability," Gandhi stated, referencing a media report on an alleged EVM unlock linked to a relative of a Shiv Sena candidate in Mumbai's north-west constituency. Gandhi also referenced Musk's stance on eliminating EVMs. The chorus of skepticism around EVMs has been a consistent theme among opposition parties in India, who have long advocated for a full count of VVPAT slips—a demand yet to be met by the Indian Election Commission. The commission, however, has repeatedly dismissed concerns over EVMs and demonstrated their safety in multiple ways. Advocates of democratic sanctity even claim that casting doubts over the electoral process threatens the very fabric of a robust democracy. This ongoing debate highlights a significant divide: on one side, leaders like Chandrasekhar defend the integrity and security of India's EVMs and advocate their use for greater efficiency in elections. On the other, Musk, Gandhi, and several other leaders across the globe have raised serious concerns about their vulnerability and lack of transparency. As the debate continues, the question of how best to secure democratic processes in the digital age remains a hot topic. (With inputs from PTI)

Elon Musk Vs Rajeev Chandrasekhar Vs Rahul Gandhi: The great EVM debate

Eleven Indian states and one union territory were up for vote today in the second phase of India’s general election. Security was increased in ‘vulnerable’ and ‘critical’ constituencies after multiple incidents of violence were reported during the first phase. As a precautionary measure, mobile internet services were stalled in the state of Jammu and Kashmir that saw a voter turnout of 45.46%. West Bengal, which saw a voter turnout of 76.14% — the highest during the second phase of the elections in India — had more central forces <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/lok-sabha-elections-2019-more-central-forces-in-second-phase-in-west-bengal-election-commission/story-TLHV812ykqfO3PZXgUke2M.html">employed</a> at Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Raiganj polling stations. The only incident to occur was one EVM being vandalized in the Chopra constituency during a clash between members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Security personnel had to launch tear gas shells and lathi charge at the alleged local trouble makers. TMC was also accused by the Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M) of attacking the vehicle of the CPM’s Raiganj candidate, Mohammad Salim in Islampur. Manipur and Assam also recorded high voter turnouts of 76.15% and 76.14% respectively, and the polling was relatively uneventful in both statess. Even the lone union constituency, Puducherry, saw a voter turnout of 75.91%. Aside from West Bengal, security was also tightened in the Maoist affected regions of Odisha — particularly the Kandhamal, Bargarh and Bolangir constituencies — where a few booths will still have to face re-polling, but not due to violent outbreaks but due to technical glitches in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verified paper audit trails (VVPATs). The state’s Chief Electoral Officer, Surendra Kumar has recommended repolling of booths in Sundergarh, Bonai and Daspalla, citing negligence on the part of the polling officers on duty. <div type="ExtQuote" text="Technical problems arose due to lapses on part of the polling officers, action will be taken against those officers for dereliction of duty." auname="Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer Surendra Kumar"></div>

 Despite the commotion, Odisha saw a voter turnout of 57.97%. Uttar Pradesh, with a voter turnout of 62.06%, also faced EVM issues at the Gantholi Village polling booth in Mathura where voting did not begin as scheduled. One village in Fatehpur Sikri — Magoli Kala — chose to boycott the elections altogether complaining that the government had failed to provide adequate irrigation facilities in the area. Maharashtra faced similar EVM glitches in the morning but still managed to garner a 60.72% voter turnout. Karnataka, where the primary concern was that citizens wouldn’t show up to vote, saw a 67.55% voter turnout. The same was 65.33% in Tamil Nadu amid multiple allegations of voters being bought off in the days leading up to the second phase of the election.

High voter turnout marks India’s second phase of polling — aside from EVM malfunctions, violence at poll booths, and internet shutdowns

New Delhi, More than 10 years after a Supreme Court judgement paved way for introduction of the <keyword id="20335981" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nota" source="keywords">NOTA</keyword> button on EVM for polls, the number of voters choosing it still remains low, with the experts dubbing it as a "toothless tiger" with no implications on the results. NOTA (None of the Above) was introduced in India through the Supreme Court's judgement in September 2013. The need to introduce NOTA was felt to discourage the parties from fielding tainted candidates. The Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to make necessary provision in the ballot papers/EVMs so that the voters can decide not to vote for any of the candidates in the fray. Introduced in 2013, the NOTA option on electronic voting machines has its own symbol - a ballot paper with a black cross across it. After the Supreme Court order in September 2013, the Election Commission added the NOTA button on the EVMs as the last option on the voting panel. One ballot unit has 16 buttons. Before the apex court order, those not inclined to vote for any candidate had the option of filling what is popularly called form 49-O. But filling out the form at the polling station under Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, compromised the secrecy of the voter. However, even as NOTA has secured over 1.29 crore votes in the state assembly elections and the <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections combined in the last five years, the number of candidates with criminal records has increased in both the general and the assembly elections. According to a report by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the share of MPs with declared criminal cases against them has been increasing in the last decade. While 30 per cent elected MPs had criminal cases against them in 2009, which went up. Of the 543 winners analysed by the ADR in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, 162 (30 per cent) had declared criminal cases against them, with 76 (14 per cent) had serious criminal cases against them. In 2019, the share of MPs with criminal and serious criminal cases increased to 43 per cent and 29 per cent. "NOTA has made no difference as far as criminality is concerned, in fact the number of candidates with criminal cases has increased," Major General (Retd) Anil Verma, Head of ADR, told PTI. "The concept of NOTA was that some pressure would be on the parties not to field tainted candidates. It has not happened," he said. Overall in different state and general elections, votes polled on NOTA have been between .5 per cent to 1.5per cent, according to data compiled by the ADR. It secured around 1.06 per cent votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and among states, highest was when it got 1.98 percent of the total votes in the 2018 Chhattisgarh Assembly polls. The lowest number of votes NOTA in the Lok Sabha was 100 votes in Lakshadweep, and among the state polls, it secured the lowest percentage of vote share - 0.46 percent in both the Delhi State Assembly Elections, 2020, and the Mizoram State Assembly Elections, 2018. "Unfortunately, it turned out to be a toothless tiger. It merely provided a platform to express dissent or one's anger for political parties to take note and nothing more," <keyword id="20887282" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="maj-gen-verma" source="keywords">Maj Gen Verma</keyword> (Retd) said. He, however, pointed out that overall, the percentage of NOTA votes in seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribe has been slightly higher, which may indicate there are more grievances among these groups. "In the reserved constituencies, we have seen the percentage of NOTA votes are higher. Perhaps the tribals and SCs have more grievances so they go in larger numbers for NOTA," he said. Constituency wise, NOTA has secured as high as 27,500 votes in Maharashtra's Latur Rural constituency, a seat reserved for the SC community, over 13 per cent of the total votes. NOTA got the second spot, with Congress' Dhiraj Deshmukh winning with over 67 per cent of the total votes. In 'Red Alert Constituencies', the seats with three or more candidates with criminal cases contesting the elections, NOTA secured 26, 77,616 votes (26.77 lakhs) in the state assembly elections since 2018. It ranges from 1.63 per cent in Bihar in 217 red alert constituencies to 0.43 per cent in Delhi. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the highest number of NOTA votes (51,660) were polled in Bihar's Gopalganj, another reserved SC constituency, where it secured the third spot getting 5.03 per cent of the total votes. Axis India chairman <keyword id="20816878" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pradeep-gupta" source="keywords">Pradeep Gupta</keyword> said there is a requirement to give more teeth to the NOTA option. "I believe that candidates, who have lost against NOTA should not get a chance to contest again. That is what the logic is all about. Since there is no such rule, many voters think what is the point of choosing NOTA," Gupta told PTI. "In 2014, 1.08 pc voters chose NOTA, the percentage was 1.06 pc in 2019. It is a sizeable number but I believe it is more due to error and less due to intention," Gupta said. "But if a rule is brought in barring the rejected candidates from contesting again, I believe the number will go up like anything. The political parties understand the sensitivity of this and that is why I believe no one will favour such a law and hence NOTA is a toothless option," he added. Calls have also been made for scrapping NOTA. Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel had last year sought scrapping NOTA, stating that in certain cases it polled more votes than winning margin. In 2018, the Supreme Court had ruled that NOTA option should not be given in the <keyword id="19895369" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajya-sabha" source="keywords">Rajya Sabha</keyword> elections.

None of the Above or NOTA toothless without right to reject, say experts

<ul><li>Voter turnout 57.68% at 8:00 pm, according to Election Commission data.</li><li>Track the updated <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/final-voter-turnout-in-delhi-election-2020/articleshow/74023521.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">voter turnout data</a> here. </li><li>The police have deployed around 40,000 security personnel, 19,000 home guards and 190 companies of Central Armed Police Forces to ensure smooth conduct of the polls.</li><li>India's national capital is in election mode; it's the voting day in the all-important assembly election.</li><li>Over 1.46 crore registered voters have to pick between the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the challenger Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party to which the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi belongs.</li><li>Check out some <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/interesting-facts-about-delhi-election-2020/articleshow/74020815.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">interesting trivia around Delhi assembly election 2020</a> here.</li></ul>India's national capital is in election mode; it's the voting day in the all-important assembly election. Over 1.46 crore registered voters have to pick between the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the challenger Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party to which the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi belongs. AAP, led by Kejriwal, is hoping to repeat its stellar performance of the last assembly polls when it won 67 of the 70 seats in Delhi assembly. The BJP bagged all seven seats in Delhi in the 2019 Parliamentary election, is looking to dislodge the Kejriwal government. 
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="image (5)" msid="74021665" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The final results of the last Delhi assembly election.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

















 Meanwhile the Congress is seeking to better its performance than last time when it drew a blank in both the assembly as well as general election. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="NEW DELHI:DELHI ASSEMBLY ELECTION 2020 : PTI GRAPHICS(..." msid="74020680" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;DELHI ASSEMBLY ELECTION 2020 :GRAPHICS(&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>



















 The results of the election will reflect the importance of the ongoing debate and outrage over the Central government's recent citizenship law that has led to a bitter war of words, and an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/indias-divisive-protests-could-help-modis-party-in-election-test-2020-2?IR=T" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">unrelenting sit-down protest</a> at Shaheen Bagh, in south-eastern Delhi. There are five polling stations around the Shaheen Bagh area. 
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="New Delhi: Poll officials arrive at a polling station on the eve of Delhi Assemb..." msid="74020586" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Poll officials arrive at a polling station on the eve of Delhi Assembly elections, at Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi. The area has been in the news for nearly two months due to continuous agitation against CAA and NRC.Photo/Kamal Singh) (&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>





















 The incumbent AAP government has sought votes for its work in the last five years while the BJP, on the face of it, is banking on its charm as national party, with a charismatic Prime Minister. But Modi's party did not leave anything to chance. In the run up to these elections there was a constant attempt by the BJP kept the debate over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register for Citizens to get the Hindu voters of Delhi to swing its way. 
	
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="India New Delhi Elections" msid="74020596" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In this Monday, Feb. 3, 2020, photo, a supporter of India&amp;#39;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holds a mace, used as a weapon by Hindu god Hanuman, as he shouts slogans during an election campaign rally for the upcoming Delhi elections in New Delhi, India. Campaigning for a crucial state election in India&amp;#39;s capital has reached a fever pitch as members of the Hindu nationalist-led government call for violence against minority Muslims and invoke the specter of arch-nemesis Pakistan to reverse course after a pair of losses in recent state polls.Photo/Manish Swarup)&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>





















 These are some of the highlights from the voting day: The polling began at 8 am and will end at 6 pm. The voter turnout has been recorded at 4.33% till 10 am, according to ANI. Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal who cast his vote, along with his family, in the New Delhi constituency made several appeals to the electorate. "You must go to vote. Special appeal to all women - Just like you bear the responsibility of home, the responsibility of the country and Delhi is also on you. All of you ladies must go to vote and also take the men of your house. Make sure to discuss with men about who are the right ones to vote for," Kejriwal said in a tweet this morning in Hindi. Soon after, he expressed anguish over reported attempts to bribe voters. The Election Commission's data shows that they seized ₹57 crore -- ₹12.33 crore cash, ₹2.83 core liquor and ₹42.32 in other assets like narcotics, bullion and jewelry. "Because of our enforcement and the preventive action, the election has passed peacefully," said the Election Commissioner of Delhi. Multiple EVM snags were also reported, including <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/politics/delhi-elections-2020-live-updates-assembly-polls-voting-aap-bjp-congress-shaheen-bagh-arvind-kejriwal-modi-2492067.html" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">one in Kejriwal's constituency</a>. However, according to Election Commission, EVM replacement was as low as 0.97%. "Less than 1% VVPAT replacement is very heartening news," claimed the Election Commissioner of Delhi. 
	
	
	
	
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="ArvindKejriwal" handlename="Arvind Kejriwal" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/945853608389574656/REH_LpUJ_normal.jpg" favoritecount="33696" retweetcount="5599" status="मुझे कई लोगों के फ़ोन आ रहे हैं कि वो लोग पैसा बाँटेंगे, षड्यंत्र करेंगे। मेरी सबसे अपील है-“सत्य आपके साथ है। आपने… https://t.co/bzgDRVJZ8N" createdat="1581060691000" id="1225683492358373378"></div>













 Meanwhile Prime Minister Modi too, made an appeal to the voters. 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="narendramodi" handlename="Narendra Modi" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1134082549041393672/QbihPzrL_normal.png" favoritecount="8163" retweetcount="2142" status="दिल्ली विधानसभा चुनाव के लिए आज मतदान का दिन है। सभी मतदाताओं से मेरी अपील है कि वे अधिक से अधिक संख्या में लोकतंत्… https://t.co/rmvc7PXsc1" createdat="1581129250000" id="1225971049856004097"></div>



















 A police officer who reportedly shot a fellow woman cop before committing suicide casts a tense shadow on the mood in Delhi on voting day, according to a TV channel Mirror Now. Security has been beefed up along the borders of Delhi. Video recordings and vehicles are being checked at 36 points between Ghaziabad and Delhi, <a href="https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/tight-vigil-at-ghaziabad-gurugram-border-ahead-of-polling-today20200208033646/" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">according to an ANI report</a>. Security forces kept a tight watch across the 70 constituencies, with police and paramilitary personnel keeping an "extra vigil" in sensitive areas like Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Nagar and Seelampuri, the IANS reported. The police have deployed around 40,000 security personnel, 19,000 home guards and 190 companies of Central Armed Police Forces to ensure smooth conduct of the polls. 111 years old Kalitara Mandal, the oldest voter of Delhi, cast her vote today. "I've always cast my vote ever since I received my voter ID. I feel happy while casting vote. It gives me power. I wish each &amp; every citizen casts his vote," she reportedly said. At 8:00 pm, the voter turnout was at 57.68%. However, voting is still underway. "Till everyone who was at the polling stations at 6:00pm have voted, the polling will go on at the polling stations concerned," said the Election Commissioner of Delhi. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/how-can-i-check-my-name-in-the-voter-list/articleshow/73999763.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Here's how to check your name in the voting list</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/delhi-election-2020-dont-have-voter-id-carry-these-documents-to-the-polling-booth/articleshow/73999876.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Don’t have voter ID? Carry these documents to the polling booth</a>

Delhi Elections 2020: Voting day news and highlights

As the second phase of the <keyword id="43573" type="EVENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="General-Election">general election</keyword> takes off in India, voters in 11 states and 1 union territory— West Bengal, Odisha, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Manipur and Puducherry — were up early queuing up at the election booths. Nearly 5 million people are eligible to vote in the state of West Bengal with a nearly equal distribution between men and women, albeit there are only 87 registered third-gender voters in the three constituencies going to vote in the state today today. And Puducherry, while being a union territory, is home to nearly one million voters who have been facing <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-sabha/india/puducherry-congress-tries-to-win-back-sole-mp-seat/articleshow/68899027.cms">increasing</a> debt and a fall in social initiatives due to lower devolution of taxes from the central government. A lot of voters and politicians are wondering if the second phase of polling will be marred with problems of EVM malfunctions and poll booth violence like evidenced during the first phase of the general election in India. Two incidents of poll booth violence have already been reported in West Bengal. In Uttar Pradesh, four of the contesting politicians — Samajwadi Party’s Azam Khan, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Bahujan Samaj Party’s Mayawati — have been <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/top-story/up-election-2019-after-yogi-mayawati-ec-bans-azam-maneka-from-campaigning/story/337566.html">banned</a> from campaigning by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for issuing controversial comments. For Tamil Nadu, the days leading up to the election were a little chaotic after the Income Tax (IT) department seized over 1,350 kilograms of gold and nearly ₹14.8 million which was allegedly stashed to bribe voters. Elections in Vellore, one of Tamil Nadu’s most-watched constituencies, were cancelled altogether after ₹1.05 million was found at Durai Murugan’s house, the father of Kathir Anand — a DMK candidate in the district. Another ₹115.3 was also found at Poonjolai Srinivasan’s cement godown, a known associate of Murugan. Even Maharashtra hasn’t had an easy go of it with over 15,000 cases of alleged Model Code of Conduct violations <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/lok-sabha-elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019-over-15-000-code-of-conduct-cases-filed-in-maharashtra/story-luAZtetS7fq6EUDRsYztmI.html">registered</a> since March 10.The Additional Chief Electoral Officer, Dilip Shinde, has stated that over 700,000 officers and employees of the states are involved in keeping elections in Maharashtra peaceful and efficient for the 10 seats of the state going to the polls today. <div type="ExtQuote" text="The enforcing departments (Income Tax and Police) also lodged total 15,095 FIRs against the offenders for violating the model code of conduct, with most of the cases pertaining to storage and distribution of illicit liquor, followed by possession of firearms." auname="Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dilip Shinde"></div>

 If voters aren’t being bribed, then they’re being threatened. Kawasi Lakhma, a Congress minister from Chhattisgarh, has been <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/general-elections-2019-chhattisgarh-congress-mla-kawasi-lakhma-threatens-voters-with-electric-shocks-2024279">telling</a> voters that they vote against his party, the EVM machine will deliver an electric shock. While Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu struggle with voter bribery issues, Bihar and Karnataka are more concerned with voter turnout. The city of Bengaluru — the Silicon Valley of India — in particular, has issues of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/election-2019-gold-confiscated-in-tamil-nadu-ahead-of-second-phase/articleshow/68933494.cms">voter turnout</a> while Bihar’s <a href="https://www.livemint.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections/bihar-elections-2019-patna-is-missing-a-whole-generation-of-millennials-1555350536677.html">brain drain</a> means that a lot of its eligible millennial voters don’t actually live in the state anymore. As Manipur goes to polls again, the Returning Officer (RO)The Returning Officer (RO) of the Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency, Haobam Rosita, has <a href="https://www.newsclick.in/returning-officer-recommends-re-poll-19-polling-stations-manipur">recommended</a> that re-polling needs to take place at 19 of the polling stations from the first phase of the general elections in the state. Among the many reasons that Rosita cites for repolling, the most disturbing is probably one of the constituencies showed that voter turnout in excess of 100% and that the polling booth for the Najang Village was put up at a non-designated location. In order to keep disruptive elements from affecting the polls similarly, the west Indian states of West Bengal and Assam are <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/2nd-phase-tight-security-in-five-election-bound-districts/articleshow/68868180.cms">increasing</a> security in constituencies along the border — especially in districts classified as ‘vulnerable’ and ‘critical’. And unfortunately, for Jammu and Kashmir, none of the contesting political parties are talking about the environmental issues which have a heavy bearing on the state’s water supply as well as its tourism industry, which has been suffering as more and more of the state’s green capital is being destroyed. The third phase of the general election will kick off on April 23 covering 14 states — Assam, Goa, Karnataka, Odisha, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Bihar, Gujarat, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Daman and Diu, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and West Bengal. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/election-2019-gold-confiscated-in-tamil-nadu-ahead-of-second-phase/articleshow/68933494.cms">Over a ton of gold seized a day ahead of polls shows the depth of the rot in Tamil Nadu</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/job-losses-will-haunt-bengaluru-indias-silicon-valley-as-it-goes-to-polls-today/articleshow/68930893.cms">Job losses will haunt Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Valley, as it goes to polls today</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-second-phase-of-polling-in-tamil-nadu-voters-issues/articleshow/68930595.cms">Tamil Nadu’s angry voters have a small oil field, a big highway, a medical entrance test, and a police shootout in mind</a>

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