New Delhi: A few days back, a shocking incident of EVM (electronic voting machines) manipulation came to light in Assam. During the mandatory mock poll in Jorhat district of the state, it was witnessed that every time a button was pressed, the vote went in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (Bjp). Following this, questions are being raised on how a voting machine, which is projected to be full proof, can be manipulated.
Many experts, both national and international, have experimented with EVMs and have concluded that every voting machine can be manipulated. Even the third generation machines are not as secure as these are widely projected.
Here is how the EVMs can be doctored:
Consider a scenario. Agency A is given the task of manipulating the final national-election-results in favour of a party X. Let us say party Y and Z are the nearest rivals of X. It is obvious that Y and Z will change from constituency to constituency.
Step 1: Collect all the data of previous constituency wise voting pattern. Some databases give booth wise voting percentage distribution for each candidate. Mark the constituencies where Y and Z have won. Or, X has lost.
Step 2: Administer a national sample survey to find out what changes have taken place in the last six years.
Step 3: Identify the booths where X is likely to lose for sure (this constitutes the first set of booths) and also identify the booths where X and its rivals (Y and Z) are going to get almost same number of votes (second set of booths).
Keep the second set of booths for statistical analysis only if the first set of booths does not give desired results in step 4. Leave all those constituencies where X is going to win. These are of no interest.
Step 4: Select constituencies where Y or Z are going to defeat X with large margins, leave all those booths where X is going to get more votes compared to Y or Z.
Step 5: Identify those booths in these constituencies where Y or Z are going to get large numbers votes in their favour.
Step 6: Once this database is constructed, by applying statistical techniques, a minimum number of EVMs that need manipulation could be computed. Iterations which marginally change the number of votes in each EVM, where X is likely to lose, could give us the minimum number of EVMs that will make a significant difference at national level.
If changing the number of votes in this set of EVM (booths) does not give desired results, add a few booths from the second set where the fight is neck-to-neck. Change the number of votes in favour of X. Repeat the iteration to achieve desired results.
Step 7: Identify the minimum number EVMs to be manipulated (or booths) on paper. Now, agency ‘A’ is ready to properly identify EVMs to be manipulated and voting figures to be fed in each of these EVMs.
Step 8: In order to be doubly sure, repeat the survey only in those areas where voters are going to vote in favour of Y and Z.
Step 9: If the exercise is done thoroughly and Y or Z are not likely to sweep the elections or are not riding a huge popularity wave, this number will not be more than 1-2% of all booths or EVMs. Precise number of vote that are to be stolen from Y and/or Z and shifted to the account of X could be calculated.
Step 10: ‘A’ must procure sufficient number of electronic devices for manipulating results in a given minimum number of EVMs. Though it is difficult to detect this meticulously worked out theft of votes, if the number of persons involved in the operation increases the risk of detection will increase. The risk of detection is directly proportional to the number of EVMs to be manipulated.
Step 11: ‘A’ should not attempt to rig all EVMs.
Step 12: ‘A’ should induct local youth from areas where results are to be manipulated.
Step 13: The youth should be trained in handling the remote machines.
Step 14: The youth trained may not be told the ultimate objective of the exercise. They may be given a computer or an electronic tablet or a cellphone and be instructed to interview voters or report from the polling booth for 10 or 15 minutes. Ensure that they are at the right place at the right time. The device may be pre-programmed to send signals to designated EVMs while the recruit is in the vicinity of the polling booth.
Step 15: If one machine and one person could cover more than one booth, ‘A’ must try to achieve that for arriving at minimum number of persons to be involved in the operation.
Step 16: Conduct a mock poll through a reputed agency. The poll should give ranges of results, which should include the final expected manipulated results. Feed it to media repeatedly. Create as much confusion as possible.
Step 17: Purchase channel’s time, newspaper’s space and correspondents to predict results that are predetermined (or in other words, have been worked out on paper).
The entire operation will cost a couple of hundred crore rupees in Indian conditions. If the plan, described above, can be operationalised, the Indian democracy is doomed.
