New Delhi:
Election Commission sources on Friday dismissed the suggestions that electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the country are unsafe for hacking, claiming that machines act as simple calculators that are not connected to internet or infrared.
Referring to the comments reported by the Director of United States of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, his office has obtained evidence of weaknesses for hacking electronic voting systems to manipulate votes, sources said that some countries use “electronic voting systems” which are mixed with many systems, machines and procedures including internet.
He underlined that India uses electronic voting machines that act as “simple, right and accurate calculator” and cannot be connected to internet, WiFi or infrared.
These machines have conducted a legal inquiry by the Supreme Court and are always examined by political parties in various stages, including the operation of the “mock poll” before the actual voting begins.
While counting in front of political parties, more than five crore paper trail machine slip has been verified and matched, he said.
Tech Mogul Elon Musk had last year called for the eradication of EVMs citing the risk of being hacked by humans or artificial intelligence (AI).
The then Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar responded to Musk’s claim in January, saying, “A global IT expert said that EVMs could be hacked, while our elections were going on. They (America) are not EVMs, they have electronic voting mechanisms.
“The comment made Pandmonium here. The same expert later said that it takes a day to end the count in India while the US takes more than a month. We only follow the narratives that are suit.” However, Mr. Kumar did not name Musk.
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