Supreme Court Asks Centre to Clarify Position on Totalisers for EVM Vote Counting

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to examine the introduction of totalisers for counting EVM votes. The bench asked the government to report on any potential impediments or negative impacts of implementing the device, which aggregates votes from multiple polling booths.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Union of India to respond to petitions seeking the introduction of totalisers for counting votes recorded in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked the Centre to examine potential impediments and any negative impacts associated with the mechanism.

A totaliser is a device that allows votes cast in approximately 14 polling booths to be counted together. Currently, under the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, votes in EVMs are counted polling station-wise. Petitioners argued that this method reveals the voting patterns of specific localities and pockets, potentially exposing voters to post-poll violence.

The court directed the Centre to examine relevant election rules as well as recommendations made by the Law Commission of India, including the proposed provision for totalisation. Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, one of the petitioners, submitted that the mechanism is necessary to secure voter privacy and align with practices in other countries.

Representing the Election Commission, counsel stated that several impediments exist regarding the introduction of totalisers, noting that a majority of political parties have not agreed to the proposal. However, the petitioner maintained that the Election Commission has historically supported the device since 2007.

The petitions before the apex court also included prayers for common electoral rolls for Parliament, Assembly, and local body polls to conserve public money and manpower. The court's current focus remains on the feasibility and rule amendments required for implementing totalisers in vote counting.

"The Supreme Court's intervention regarding the use of totalisers for EVM vote counting highlights important operational and governance considerations for institutional processes. From a regulatory and systems perspective, introducing changes to established protocols requires careful evaluation of technical, administrative, and stakeholder consensus. Businesses and public institutions alike must balance technological modernization with transparency, compliance, and risk management when navigating policy shifts." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes