EVM: difficult to use ?

Md. Shazzadul Islam

Voters after the polling in the maiden Comilla City Corporation election on Thursday expressed a mixed reaction to the introduction of the electronic voting machines used for the first time in all polling stations in an election. The worry of the voters over whether their ballots would be cast for their chosen candidates raised questions over the introduction of the new device but during polling they were seen quite enthusiastic about the EVM. A number of elderly and illiterate people, however, faced difficulties in casting ballots through the EVM. Polling remained suspended in a few centres for a while as EVMs installed there went out of order while a number of voters left the booths without completing the process of balloting through the new device leaving election officials in problems. The voters who faced difficulties in casting vote alleged that they had not been introduced to the machine before. Voters, especially the elderly and women, termed EVM a complicated device difficult for them to use. But many voters said they were happy with the introduction of the device though some others doubted whether their ballots would eventually be cast for the candidates they voted for. A number of presiding officers and assistant presiding officers at different polling stations admitted that elderly and women voters had faced some problems in using EVMs, especially those who had not participated in mock voting and were not known to the system. Voters at Comilla Modern School polling stations said polling was delayed by about 30 minutes in a booth after an EVM wetn out of order. Taslima Akhter, a voter , told New Age that when she had cast her ballot she found the machine was not taking the vote. She informed the assistant presiding officer of the difficulties. Presiding officer at Comilla Modern School centre Gazi Al Amin, however, denied any delay in the polling . We started taking votes in time. Assistant presiding officer at Comilla Zila School centre, Mohammad Jasimuddin told New Age that one of the machines had gone out of order for about 30 minutes and was replaced, but it caused no major disruption. At the Chotora Maleka Mamtaj High School polling station, at least four voters left the booths without completing their votes and authorities in presence of polling agents completed the tasks later. Bayzid Hossain at the Comilla Victoria Government College centre sought help of election officials, saying he did not know how to use the machine. Similar incidents took place in many other poling stations. Zaheda Alam, an elderly woman, said at Munshi M Ali Registered Primary School centre that she had found EVM a complicated machine. She was sceptical whether the votes she had cast would go to the people of her choice.

Shamsul Haque in Gobindapur Government Primary School said that he was doubful about his votes fate. I have doubts whether my vote would be counted. Voters also said that it had taken them much time in casting their ballots with the device and elderly women said that they lacked training in the matter. Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan, presiding officer at Comilla Victoria Government College centre, Anwarul Haque, presiding officer at Gobindapur Government Primary School centre, and Abdus Sabur, presiding officer at Chotora Maleka Mamtaj High School centre admitted that voters, especially eladerly and women and less educated people, had faced difficulties in casting vote. They said that the voters should have been trained in the use of electronic voting machines. All the three presiding officers, however, said that the system was transparent and it took less time to case vote with the machines. They also admitted that the people who had been trained also faced problems. Awami League-supported mayoral candidate Afzal Khan after casting his vote at the Modern High School centre expressed his satisfaction at the introduction of EVM. While his rival, Monirul Haque Shakku said that voters had faced problems with the EVM because they were not trained widely. About 1,48,000 voters of nine out of the 27 wards cast their votes with EVMs in 450 booths of 58 centers in Narayanganj City Corporation polls in October 2011 and in June 2010, EVMs were used in 79 booths of 14 centres in one ward in the Chittagong City Corporation polls. A total of 25,230 people had cast vote there.