In which two ways is the voting by EVM better than voting by ballot papers ?

Question

Q. In which two ways is the voting by EVM better than voting by ballot papers ?

CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2020Subjective· 1mImportance★★★★★

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Concept understanding — Internal Party Democracy

Internal Party Democracy: A First Look

Think of a school election. The class decides who will be the head boy or head girl. But what if the teacher simply picked someone without asking anyone? You'd feel that's unfair, right? That instinct — that decisions affecting a group should involve the group — is the seed of internal party democracy.

Now scale that up. Political parties are not just names on a ballot. They are organisations with thousands, sometimes millions, of members. Internal party democracy means that within a party, decisions are made through discussion, debate, and voting by its own members, not dictated by a single leader or a small clique.

What It Actually Means

The NCERT Class 12 Political Science textbook (Chapter 6, "Political Parties") puts it plainly: internal democracy refers to the way a party functions internally — how it chooses its candidates, elects its office-bearers, and decides its policies. A democratic party should have:

Regular elections for party positions, from local units to the national executive.
Transparent decision-making — members know how and why decisions are taken.
Opportunity for ordinary members to rise through the ranks based on merit, not loyalty to a leader.
Internal dissent — members can disagree with party leadership without being expelled.

Important

Internal party democracy is not about the party winning elections. It is about how the party itself is run. A party that preaches democracy to the country but practices dictatorship within its own walls is hypocritical — and often ineffective.

Why It Matters

You might ask: why should I care about how a party runs itself? Because parties are the vehicles through which democracy works. If the vehicle is broken, the journey suffers.

Better candidates: When a party holds internal elections, the best leaders emerge. Without it, leaders are handpicked by a few powerful individuals, often based on caste, money, or personal connections.
Accountability: Leaders who are elected by party members are answerable to them. If they perform poorly, members can vote them out. Without this, leaders become unaccountable and arrogant.
Fresh ideas: Internal debate brings new perspectives. A party that suppresses dissent becomes stagnant and out of touch with the people.
Prevents dynastic politics: When a party lacks internal democracy, power often stays within one family. Internal elections break this cycle.

Note

The NCERT textbook specifically notes that most Indian political parties lack internal democracy. They are often dominated by a single leader or family, and internal elections are either not held or are rigged. This is a major weakness in India's democratic system.

The Reality Check …

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Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) offer significant improvements over ballot papers primarily through increased efficiency in vote counting and enhanced integrity of the electoral process.

The method by which citizens cast their votes is fundamental to the democratic process. For many years, elections in India relied on ballot papers, where voters marked their choice on a paper slip and deposited it into a ballot box. However, over time, the Election Commission of India progressively introduced Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to streamline and improve the electoral system. This transition brought about several advantages, making voting more efficient and the results more reliable.

One primary way EVMs are superior to ballot papers is in the speed and efficiency of vote counting and result declaration. With ballot papers, the counting process is a laborious, manual task. Each ballot paper must be physically sorted, checked for validity, and then counted for each candidate. This often requires a large workforce and can extend for many hours, sometimes even days, leading to delays in announcing election outcomes. EVMs, on the other hand, record votes electronically. Once polling concludes, the votes stored in each machine can be tallied rapidly at the counting centres. This electronic tabulation drastically reduces the time required for counting, allowing for the declaration of results within a few hours of counting commencing. This swiftness not only reduces anxiety and speculation but also minimizes the logistical challenges associated with prolonged counting operations.

Note

The faster declaration of results also helps in quicker formation of governments, ensuring administrative continuity. …

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Same / Similar Concept — real previous-year questions on the same or a closely similar concept, not this exact question.

CBSE 2020Set 59/1/11 mark
$Q. In which two ways is the voting by EVM better than voting by ballot papers ?$
›Reveal solutionSolution

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) offer significant improvements over ballot papers primarily through increased efficiency in vote counting and enhanced integrity of the electoral process.

The method by which citizens cast their votes is fundamental to the democratic process. For many years, elections in India relied on ballot papers, where voters marked their choice on a paper slip and deposited it into a ballot box. However, over time, the Election Commission of India progressively introduced Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to streamline and improve the electoral system. This transition brought about several advantages, making voting more efficient and the results more reliable.

One primary way EVMs are superior to ballot papers is in the speed and efficiency of vote counting and result declaration. With ballot papers, the counting process is a laborious, manual task. Each ballot paper must be physically sorted, checked for validity, and then counted for each candidate. This often requires a large workforce and can extend for many hours, sometimes even days, leading to delays in announcing election outcomes. EVMs, on the other hand, record votes electronically. Once polling concludes, the votes stored in each machine can be tallied rapidly at the counting centres. This electronic tabulation drastically reduces the time required for counting, allowing for the declaration of results within a few hours of counting commencing. This swiftness not only reduces anxiety and speculation but also minimizes the logistical challenges associated with prolonged counting operations.

Note

The faster declaration of results also helps in quicker formation of governments, ensuring administrative continuity. …

Start your 14-day free trial to see the full solution →

Q.In which two ways is the voting by EVM better than voting by ballot papers ?

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