The Election Commission's use of technology (EVMs, VVPAT, c-VIGIL) enhances electoral integrity by:
- Eliminating all possibility of electoral malpractice
- Improving efficiency, transparency, and voter confidence while requiring continuous safeguards against new vulnerabilities
- Replacing human oversight entirely with automated systems
- Focusing only on urban areas with better infrastructure
Answer: Improving efficiency, transparency, and voter confidence while requiring continuous safeguards against new vulnerabilities
Technology and electoral integrity: (a) Benefits of technology: (i) Efficiency: EVMs enable faster voting, counting, reducing time, cost of elections, (ii) Transparency: VVPAT provides paper trail for verification, enhancing voter confidence in electronic voting, (iii) Accessibility: c-VIGIL app enables citizens to report MCC violations in real-time, enhancing monitoring, (b) Continuous safeguards needed: (i) New vulnerabilities: Technology introduces new risks (cybersecurity threats, software bugs) requiring continuous updates, testing, (ii) Inclusivity: Ensure technology doesn't exclude elderly, rural, disabled voters through inclusive design, offline alternatives, (iii) Trust-building: Continuous voter education, transparency about technology safeguards essential to maintain public trust, (c) Applications: (i) EVM-VVPAT combination: Balances efficiency of electronic voting with transparency of paper verification, (ii) c-VIGIL app: Empowers citizens to monitor elections, report violations, enhancing participatory oversight, (iii) Data analytics: ECI uses data to identify irregularities, improve electoral processes, (d) Challenges: (i) Cybersecurity: Protecting electoral technology from hacking, tampering requires robust security measures, (ii) Digital divide: Ensuring technology benefits all voters, not just digitally literate, connected populations, (iii) Adaptation: Technology evolves rapidly; ECI must continuously update systems, safeguards to address emerging challenges, (e) Illustrates adaptive electoral governance: ECI leverages technology for efficiency, transparency while addressing equity, security concerns through inclusive design, continuous safeguards, voter education.