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EVMs evoke a positive response in the capital

The electronic voting machines tried out in six Delhi constituencies evoked a positive response from voters and presiding officers with most praising them as user-friendly, time-saver devices.

Apart from these six constituencies, five each in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are also experimenting with electronic voting.

If they work this time, they will be tried on a bigger scale during the assembly elections in nine states next year, Chief Election Commissioner Manohar Singh Gill told the media after casting his vote at a booth in Gole Market constituency.

While cutting down on the time taken, the EVMs also eliminate the chances of invalid votes being cast. They record a definite vote instead of the earlier danger of the stamp being marked against two names on the ballot paper.

Voters in Gole Market, where Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Shiela Dixit is pitted against BJP legislator Kirti Azad, said they preferred the machines to ballot papers.

"It's simple to use and takes less time. No time is wasted in waiting for the ink to dry or folding the ballot paper," said Dhana Devi.

M P Gupta, presiding officer at a booth in Gole Market, said the system was easy to operate and cuts down on paper work. Even uneducated voters were having no problems, he said.

"Some voters looked thrilled when the electronic beep went off. They felt their vote was being registered," Gupta said.

The training of polling officers and wide publicity through the media seem to have helped make the switchover smooth. At several polling booths, posters were pasted to inform voters how to use the machines.

S C Mehta, presiding officer at a booth in the Minto Road constituency, said all polling officers had been trained for three to four days in operating the machines. Stand-by EVMs were also available in case of breakdowns.

Most voters, including illiterate ones, said they learnt of the EVMs through the media.

"We came to know about the machines on television. There was no trouble using them. We just pressed the blue button and it was done,'' said Rajni and Shanti, residents of a jhuggi-jhompri (hutment) cluster in Minto Road constituency.

UNI

Assembly Election '98

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