Key Electoral Reforms

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4.1 EVM and VVPAT

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs):

Introduced in Parur Assembly constituency (Kerala) in 1982 on trial basis
Used in all Assembly elections since 1998–99
Used in all Lok Sabha elections since 2004
Manufactured by BEL (Bharat Electronics Ltd) and ECIL (Electronics Corporation of India Ltd) — both Government of India PSUs
Key security features: no network/internet connectivity; each EVM has a unique ID; tamper-evident seals; stored in strong rooms after voting with CCTV; counting under observer presence
Technical Expert Committee (IIT professors) has repeatedly certified EVMs as tamper-proof

VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail):

Attached to EVM; displays a paper slip showing the candidate and party symbol voted for — visible to voter for 7 seconds
Introduced in Noksen Assembly constituency (Nagaland) in 2013 on trial basis
Deployed nationwide from 2019 Lok Sabha elections
VVPAT slips stored separately; counted only in case of EVM-VVPAT mismatch
In N. Chandraswami Rudrappa v. ECI (2024), SC declined to order 100% VVPAT counting, upholding current protocol of 5 VVPAT slips per Assembly segment

EVM controversy: Opposition parties periodically allege EVM tampering; ECI and IIT technical committees have consistently denied the possibility of remote tampering. The Supreme Court has upheld EVM validity multiple times.

4.2 NOTA

NOTA (None of the Above):

Introduced in November 2013 state elections (5 states) following PUCL v. UoI (2013) SC order
Available in all elections since then; appears as the last option on EVM ballot

How NOTA votes work:

NOTA votes are counted and published separately
They do NOT trigger a re-election — even if NOTA gets the highest votes, the second-highest candidate wins
Purpose: Allows voters to register dissatisfaction with all candidates while maintaining vote secrecy (compared to the earlier Form 49-O, which revealed voter identity)

Notable NOTA statistics:

2024 LS elections: 0.9% of votes cast were NOTA
Rajasthan 2023 Assembly elections: NOTA got 1.1%

4.3 Electoral Bonds — And Their Judicial Annulment

Electoral Bonds Scheme (2018):

Introduced by amendment to Finance Act 2017 and RPA 1951
Any person/company could purchase bearer bonds from State Bank of India in denominations of ₹1,000–₹1 crore and donate to any registered political party
Bonds could be encashed within 15 days
"Anonymous" but traceable — donor identity not disclosed to public, but SBI records the purchaser
Total bonds sold: approximately ₹16,518 crore (2018–2024)
BJP received approximately 47% of total bonds; Congress received about 11%

Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India (2024):

A five-judge Constitutional Bench, led by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, unanimously held:

Electoral Bonds violate voters' right to information under Article 19(1)(a) — voters have a right to know who funds political parties
Anonymity enables quid pro quo arrangements — companies getting government contracts after donating to ruling party
Finance Act amendments were not a money bill — procedural impropriety
SBI directed to provide all data to ECI; ECI published donor-recipient data on its website (March 2024)
Scheme declared unconstitutional; all undated bonds to be returned or deposited in Consolidated Fund

This landmark judgment significantly shapes electoral financing regulation going forward.

4.4 Voter ID and Digital Voter Services

EPIC (Elector's Photo Identity Card):

Issued by ECI as the primary document for voting
Over 97 crore EPICs issued as of 2024
ECI linked EPICs to Aadhaar to clean electoral rolls of duplicate entries

Digital voter services:

Voter Helpline 1950: National voter helpline for electoral roll queries and complaints
Voter Portal (voters.eci.gov.in): Online voter registration, form submission, electoral roll search
Facilitated voting for PwDs: ECI provides wheelchair access, transport, and home voting facility for persons with disabilities and senior citizens (85+ can vote from home)