Low voter turnout and impersonation have always been concerns in the massive election process in the country, the world's largest democracy. Not only do people elect their representatives to the Lok Sabha and State legislatures, but vote in local election as well.
To deal with electoral malpractices and at the same time improve voter turn out, technology can be used effectively. Currently a set of mandated documents or the electoral photo identity cards are used to identify voters at polling booths. For instance, the biometric method can be adopted with the fingerprints being collected for the unique identity Aadhar cards. The databank can be used for voter identification, say students of Avanthi's Research and Technological Academy at Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram district who have come out with alternative voting methods. The work forms part of “Wireless multi-mode electronic voting technology,” their project for the final year in ECE. Led by K. Somasekhar, the team comprises P. Abhishek, M. Mounika, K.V. Bhuvan, N. Arun Teja and A. Trimurty. “In the fingerprint-based voting system (FBVS), the voter's fingerprint from the databank is used to allow him to vote on the electronic voting machine at the polling booth,” says explaining Somasekhar. In the other two, mobile-based voting system (MBVS) and Internet-based voting system, a voter id number and password are given and voters are registered. In the two systems, voters need not go to the polling booth to vote.
