India’s pioneering psephologists Dr Prannoy Roy and Dorab R. Sopariwala provide some revelations in their latest book, The Verdict, and say that EVMs have put an end to booth-capturing, are hack and tamper-proof and give reasons for their belief.

Outlook brings you Exclusive Extracts:

End of Booth-Capturing

We are now firmly in the era of India’s innovative electronic voting machines (EVMs). First introduced way back in 1982 and 1983 as a test, they are now used universally in Indian elections.

India’s electronic voting machines are unique—and ideal for Indian voting conditions. First, and most impo­rtant, Indian EVMs are not connected to the internet or to any wider cloud or network. They are stand-alone machines that have no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities. (This is a major difference between India’s EVMs and those voting booths in the USA that have electronic voting, where connection to the internet can leave them vulnerable to hacking). To cast a vote in an Indian...