Its 9.15 am as I write this and its parlimentary elections day in Bombay today. I went and voted at 7.30 am. So, whom did I vote for? A few posts ago I had written about the fact that I will vote for an independent and explained the whys and hows of it.
Well, I voted for a 37-year old independent candidate named Kalyan Galphade. I went through his affidavit (I downloaded his Election Commission pdf file at http://220.225.73.214/Affidavits/26_12Kalyan.pdf).
The list of candidates from my constituency (Bombay North, constituency number 26) were as follows:
One quick thought on the election process. The last 2-3 elections has been through electronic voting machines. Today, for instance, I pressed the button against Kalyan Galphade's name and that was that. My vote was cast. Now, all this is cool. But it only makes it convenient for a voter to cas his/her vote. What about safety against rigging?
We saw how Bush and company rigged the electronic voting machines in some states in the US presidential elections of 2000 and 2004. The same thing can happen in India and BJP, Congress or any other party which has a large fan following among software professionals and senior electoral officers) can rig the election voting and counting.
To prevent it, a unique numbered printed receipt should be issued to each voter with a copy kept in Election Commission's files. If there is a dispute then the recounting can cross check with the printed receipts. Rigging normally happens such that no matter against which candidate you click the button the machine will register your vote against the candidate in favour of whom the machine would be rigged/programmed to do so.
So, thats that. More later.
Well, I voted for a 37-year old independent candidate named Kalyan Galphade. I went through his affidavit (I downloaded his Election Commission pdf file at http://220.225.73.214/Affidavits/26_12Kalyan.pdf).
The list of candidates from my constituency (Bombay North, constituency number 26) were as follows:
One quick thought on the election process. The last 2-3 elections has been through electronic voting machines. Today, for instance, I pressed the button against Kalyan Galphade's name and that was that. My vote was cast. Now, all this is cool. But it only makes it convenient for a voter to cas his/her vote. What about safety against rigging?
We saw how Bush and company rigged the electronic voting machines in some states in the US presidential elections of 2000 and 2004. The same thing can happen in India and BJP, Congress or any other party which has a large fan following among software professionals and senior electoral officers) can rig the election voting and counting.
To prevent it, a unique numbered printed receipt should be issued to each voter with a copy kept in Election Commission's files. If there is a dispute then the recounting can cross check with the printed receipts. Rigging normally happens such that no matter against which candidate you click the button the machine will register your vote against the candidate in favour of whom the machine would be rigged/programmed to do so.
So, thats that. More later.
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