Voting for the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections 2025 is taking place. On this day, millions of voters are voting for their favorite candidate through Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), but do you know how accurate and safe these machines are? The Election Commission (ECI) adopts a two-tier process for the security of EVMs. Security before the elections (Pre-Election) and security after the elections (Post-Election).

Every EVM machine is thoroughly tested before voting. Government companies like Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) manufacture them. Before the elections, technical checking of these machines is done in the presence of representatives of political parties, so that there are no irregularities. If any machine is found defective, it is immediately sent back to the factory.

After this, all the machines are kept in a secure room, where carrying devices like mobile or camera is completely prohibited. The room is monitored by the state police. The Election Commission also conducts mock polls on some machines to ensure that the voting process is transparent.

Random distribution of machines

The Election Commission randomizes the machines twice. First at the assembly level and then at the polling station level. With this process the possibility of any kind of conspiracy or tampering is eliminated. Even on the polling day, a mock poll is conducted before the polling begins, so that all the candidates can see that the machines are working properly.

post-poll security arrangements

When voting is completed, each EVM is sealed. The seals are signed by the agents of the candidates and then the responsibility of the machines is handed over to the central paramilitary forces. After this all the machines are kept in the strong room. It is a very secure place, where there is 24-hour CCTV surveillance and uninterrupted supply of electricity is ensured. Representatives of the candidates can also participate in the monitoring of these strong rooms. Before counting of votes, the Commission gets the identification numbers of all the seals and machines checked, so that there is no scope for any irregularities.

Why are EVM machines completely reliable?

EVMs are not connected to any network or internet, so it is impossible to hack them or change them remotely. The unique ID of each machine and the three-tier sealing system make it more secure. This transparent process of the Election Commission has made EVMs the most reliable voting system in the world.

Also read: Bihar Assembly Election: How many wives of strongmen are contesting the elections in the first phase, whose fate will be sealed in EVM?

Voting for the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections 2025 is taking place. On this day, millions of voters are voting for their favorite candidate through Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), but do you know how accurate and safe these machines are? The Election Commission (ECI) adopts a two-tier process for the security of EVMs. Security before the elections (Pre-Election) and security after the elections (Post-Election).

Every EVM machine is thoroughly tested before voting. Government companies like Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) manufacture them. Before the elections, technical checking of these machines is done in the presence of representatives of political parties, so that there are no irregularities. If any machine is found defective, it is immediately sent back to the factory.

After this, all the machines are kept in a secure room, where carrying devices like mobile or camera is completely prohibited. The room is monitored by the state police. The Election Commission also conducts mock polls on some machines to ensure that the voting process is transparent.

Random distribution of machines

The Election Commission randomizes the machines twice. First at the assembly level and then at the polling station level. With this process the possibility of any kind of conspiracy or tampering is eliminated. Even on the polling day, a mock poll is conducted before the polling begins, so that all the candidates can see that the machines are working properly.

post-poll security arrangements

When voting is completed, each EVM is sealed. The seals are signed by the agents of the candidates and then the responsibility of the machines is handed over to the central paramilitary forces. After this all the machines are kept in the strong room. It is a very secure place, where there is 24-hour CCTV surveillance and uninterrupted supply of electricity is ensured. Representatives of the candidates can also participate in the monitoring of these strong rooms. Before counting of votes, the Commission gets the identification numbers of all the seals and machines checked, so that there is no scope for any irregularities.

Why are EVM machines completely reliable?

EVMs are not connected to any network or internet, so it is impossible to hack them or change them remotely. The unique ID of each machine and the three-tier sealing system make it more secure. This transparent process of the Election Commission has made EVMs the most reliable voting system in the world.

Also read: Bihar Assembly Election: How many wives of strongmen are contesting the elections in the first phase, whose fate will be sealed in EVM?

New Guidelines for EVM Bihar Elections: Preparations for Bihar assembly elections are in full swing. Even though the Election Commission has not yet announced the voting dates, but before that an important change has been implemented. This time, when voters reach to vote, they will see colorful pictures of candidates on EVM ballot. Earlier, photo black and white used to be printed on ballot paper.

The Election Commission says that this initiative is being first started from Bihar. Later it will also be implemented in other states. Under the new guideline, the picture of the candidate will be in three-fourths on the ballot paper so that voters can easily identify the face. Also, the sequence number will also be given more prominence than before. Let us know how much the Election Commission spends on installing EVMs at a booth.

EVM cost

According to the Election Commission data, the price of the ballot unit is around Rs 7991, while the price of control unit has been fixed at Rs 9812. VVPAT is more expensive than these two, which costs around Rs 16,132. Once purchased EVM machine can be used for 15 years on an average, which argues to reduce the cost of election. However, critics believe that after the election ends, it costs a lot in keeping EVMs safe and hi -tech monitoring on them.

How much is spent for EVMs at polling booth

It is not an easy task to hold elections in a huge democratic country like India. To ensure transparency and security at every booth, the Election Commission has to spend a large amount. According to the reports, only 50 to 60 thousand rupees are spent on an average on installing EVMs at one polling station and arrangements related to it. This includes the technical system of EVMs, transport, deployment of security forces and all the allowances of polling personnel.

Expenditure from Assembly to Lok Sabha

If we talk about the assembly elections, millions of booths are made in a state. In such a situation, the total cost reaches thousands of crores of rupees. At the same time, the scope of Lok Sabha elections is much larger than this. More than 1 million polling booths are set up all over the country. According to this, only the cost of thousands of crores of rupees is incurred on booths and EVM management.

The Election Commission says that this expenditure is spent for the strength of democracy and guarantee of fair election. Expenditure includes security arrangements, personnel training, facilities at polling stations and voter awareness campaigns. Experts believe that this investment is necessary for technology and transparency.

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