(Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) are always in the news. At present they are often associated with a particular party. In fact EVMs were introduced much earlier. This news item, reported by PTI & published in several dailies like The Indian Express, The National Herald etc. from 20 August 1989 should be read in that context. Below is the text of that news report.) 

Electronic Voting Machines by November

NEW DELHI, Aug 20 (PTI) 

The Election Commission will receive in the first week of November the first consignment of the total 1.50 lakh electronic voting machines it has ordered for use in the coming general elections.

All the 1.50 lakh machines, now being manufactured by the public sector Bharat Electronics Ltd. Bangalore, and the Electronics Corporation of India Hyderabad, are scheduled to be delivered by December, commission sources said.

The machines would be used in 150 Lok Sabha constituencies by the commission as part of its efforts to switch over gradually to electronic voting. 

Sources said the selection of constituencies would be done by the commission in October-November.

The commission has already received a few machines to impart training to its staff to be deployed on election duty.  

Based on intensive handling experience of the machines, the commission is now producing an operation manual, which would serve as a ready reference for the electoral staff, the sources said.

Electronic voting machines were first used in the country in the Parur Assembly constituency in Kerala in 1982. Though voters took to this  innovation, the courts objected as the Representation of the People Act did not provide for the use of the machines in place of ballot papers. The act was therefore amended by Parliament.

The important advantages of the machines are that counting votes and declaration of results are possible within a few hours from the end of the poll. The polling itself can be conducted on a single day nationwide.

The machine could also eliminate booth-capturing as it would become possible for the commission to introduce mobile polling stations to take the machines to the doorsteps of the people, especially the weaker sections.

The machines will also help the commission to dispense with ballot paper, reduce drastically the need for polling personnel, ensure secrecy in voting and eliminate invalid votes. 

Besides, the machines will save the exchequer to the tune of Rs 45 crore for one round of Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections if used nationwide, according to the commission’s calculations. 

Each machine costs about Rs 4,900 excluding packaging and transportation costs, the commission sources said.