Election Commission says ready to roll out pilot for migrants to vote

Context:

Recently the Election Commission of India said that it has developed a prototype for a Multi-Constituency Remote Electronic Voting Machine which would enable remote voting by migrant voters.

More about the news:

EC has developed a prototype for a Multi-Constituency Remote Electronic Voting Machine (RVM).
The RVM can handle multiple constituencies from a single remote polling booth.
EC has invited all recognized eight national and 57 state political parties to demonstrate the functioning of the RVM.
If the pilot is successful then in the 2024 general elections voter portability can be fully implemented.

What is Remote Electronic Voting Machine (RVM):

In order to enable remote voting for domestic migrants, a technological solution was proposed in the form of Remote Electronic Voting Machine (RVM).
RVM relies on the creation of a robust electoral roll and identification mechanisms to stop duplicate voting, and allow voters to vote remotely, in a safe and controlled environment.
It was developed with the assistance of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL).
It is based on the currently used EVM system.

How does RVM work:

The RVMs are stand alone, non-networked systems, effectively providing the voter the same experience as currently used EVMs.
They will be set up in remote locations outside the state under similar conditions as current polling booths.
The unique feature of RVMs is that a single Remote Ballot Unit (RBU) will be able to cater to multiple constituencies (as many as 72) by using a dynamic ballot display board instead of the usual printed paper ballot sheet on EVMs.
The Ballot Unit Overlay Display (BUOD) will show the requisite candidates based on the constituency number read on the voter’s Constituency card.
A barcode scanning system will be used to read these cards.

What will be the voting process under RVM:

The voting process will be as follows:
- After verifying a voter’s identity, their constituency card will be read with a public display showing the constituency details and candidates.
- This will also be displayed privately, on the BUOD in the RVM’s RBU.
- The voter will then vote and each vote will be stored constituency-wise in the control unit of the voting machine.
- The VVPAT system is expected to work along the same lines with the new technology.