Why in News?

• Recently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) revealed that it has developed a prototype for a Multi-Constituency Remote Electronic Voting Machine (RVM) which would enable remote voting by migrant voters.

What is RVM?

• It is a modified version of the time-tested model of M3 EVMs to enable voting at remote polling stations.
• It is robust, fail proof and efficient stand-alone system which will not use the internet.

Need

• Addressing local migration (~85%) led inability to vote.
• Voter turnout was 67.4% in 2019 General Elections indicating over 30 Crore didn’t vote.
• Missing votes of domestic migrants is one of the key factors behind stagnant voter turnout.
• Improve voter turnout & ensure participative elections.

Advantages

• RVMs can handle multiple constituencies (up to 72) from a single remote polling booth.
• A means to social transformation and implement voter portability.
• Will empower migrants who don’t vote due to present cumbersome procedures of change in constituency.

Challenges

• Legal: Relevant amendments to RPA, 1950 & 1951; conduct of election rules 1961; Defining Migrant worker and Remote voting etc.
• Administrative: Voting rolls, Secrecy of voting location, implementation of MCC, booth setup etc.
• Technological: Method of remote voting and its counting, familiarity of the voters.