Let’s see what electronic voting machines can do:
- Hardware: The motherboard, and the processors.
- Software (Firmware: The software that controls the system’s intelligence.
The software uses hardware as an infrastructure. This software manages the operation of an EVM on the hardware platform.
A set-up process is in place before the elections. It manages the serial numbers of switches/keys that link to the candidates.
A verification process is conducted by the election commission where candidates or their representatives can verify the operation of the EVM before they are used for voting. This may be done to make sure that the correct candidates are eligible to vote.
The EVM can now be used for voting.
The EVMs are sealed after voting and kept until the day of the counting.
The EVM displays the votes cast for each candidate during the counting. The display can be viewed by the candidates or representatives who will then record the results to the counting registers.
The EC then tabulates the votes from each machine, and determines the winner.
The next question is:
Is it possible to make and use safe EVMs? YES.
Can corrupted EVMs and tamper voting be made? YES
All that matters is how the software/firmware works at the time of counting and voting. The EVM’s behavior can be changed by a few lines of code. You can have the exact result you want or it can display a modified result.
You can believe that EVM is reliable if you trust the suppliers and manufacturers. It is not what I believe. A person with a complete knowledge of EVM design can also write codes and replace processors to make the system less reliable.
There are many ways to corrupt an EVM. However, if they do, it is another matter.
EVM should issue a slip to the voter, verify it and then place them in a sealed container. Upon request, they will be counted. This is the only way to use EVM without allowing for corruption. I recommend that you use the manual voting system, which we have used for decades, until this becomes available.