Election Tech: Powering Democracy in the Digital Age

As the world's largest democracy gears up for the 2024 General Elections, the spotlight turns to the technology underpinning this mammoth exercise. With an electorate of 950 million, India's elections are a testament to the power of technology in enabling citizen participation at an unprecedented scale.

India isn't alone in this journey. 2024 is a crucial year for democracy worldwide, with several nations, including the United States, Indonesia, and Brazil, heading to the polls. As voters across geographies exercise their fundamental right, election technology takes center stage in ensuring the integrity and efficiency of the process.

The Numbers Game: A Global Perspective

To understand the sheer magnitude of the opportunity, let's dive into some numbers. India's 2019 General Elections saw a staggering 67.4% voter turnout, amounting to over 600 million votes cast across a million polling stations. The Election Commission of India (ECI) employed 11 million personnel to conduct the elections, making it the largest human-managed event globally.

The United States, with its highly anticipated presidential race, is projected to witness around 160 million voters exercising their franchise. Indonesia, the world's third-largest democracy, expects over 170 million citizens to participate in its General Elections. Brazil, another key player, anticipates a turnout of around 150 million voters.

These figures underscore the immense logistical challenges involved in conducting free and fair elections. From voter registration to ballot counting, technology plays a pivotal role in streamlining the process and mitigating risks such as fraud and human error.

The EVM Revolution: India's Technological Leap

At the heart of India's election technology landscape lies the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). First introduced in 1982, EVMs have revolutionized the way India votes. These standalone devices record votes electronically, eliminating the need for paper ballots and manual counting.

Today, there are only 4 nations in the world which use EVMs for nationwide voting - India being the largest of the lot.

Here's a simplified explanation of how EVMs work:

The EVM consists of two units: the Control Unit, operated by polling officials, and the Balloting Unit, used by voters.
The Balloting Unit features labeled buttons corresponding to each candidate and party.
When a voter presses a button, the vote is recorded electronically in the Control Unit.
At the end of the polling process, votes from each EVM are tallied and transmitted to the central database for aggregation.

The deployment of EVMs at the scale of India's electorate is a technological marvel. The ECI procures over 2.3 million EVMs for each General Election, ensuring sufficient backups and replacements. The machines undergo rigorous testing and randomization to prevent tampering and ensure reliability.

Critics argue that EVMs are vulnerable to hacking and manipulation. However, the ECI maintains that the standalone nature of EVMs, combined with stringent security protocols, makes them virtually tamper-proof. Regular audits and voter-verifiable paper trails further enhance the credibility of the process.

The Ecosystem of Election Tech

Beyond EVMs, a host of technologies and businesses play a crucial role in enabling smooth elections. Let's explore a few key players:

Mystic Voter's Ink: Manufactured by Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited (MPVL), this indelible ink is applied to voters' fingers to prevent multiple voting. MPVL exports this ink to over 30 countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, and Cambodia. For the 2024 elections, MPVL has received orders for 2.6 million bottles of ink, a 60% increase from the previous election.
BEL and ECIL: Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) are the sole manufacturers of EVMs in India. These public sector enterprises have been instrumental in developing and upgrading EVM technology over the years. With the 2024 elections approaching, both companies are ramping up production to meet the ECI's requirements.
Signpost India: This Delhi-based startup provides end-to-end election management solutions, including voter data analytics, booth management, and poll monitoring. Signpost's data-driven approach helps political parties optimize their campaigns and improve voter outreach. The company expects a significant surge in demand as parties intensify their efforts leading up to the 2024 elections.

What’s AI got to do with elections?

If there was one thing that the Trump vs Clinton election taught us, besides the need for a sane leader for a country, it was that deepfakes can sway elections wholly. We’ve already heard stories of deepfakes being used in elections in the east as well.

Imran Khan, Pakistan’s former prime minister, has spent the duration of the country’s electoral campaign in jail but was able to use AI to replicate his voice and movements and deliver speeches from behind bars. Closer to home in India, the Indian National Congress was accused of disseminating a deepfake of the opposition’s leader on Whatsapp, on the day of the Telangana state elections, to swing the outcome in their favour even though the other party had showed dominance in the prior assembly elections.

The Road Ahead: Opportunities and Challenges

As election technology advances, opportunities abound for startups and innovators to make a meaningful impact. From blockchain-based voting systems to AI-powered voter education, the potential for disruption is immense.

However, challenges persist. Ensuring the security and integrity of electronic voting systems remains a top priority. Voter privacy and data protection are critical concerns that need to be addressed through robust regulations and technological safeguards.

Moreover, bridging the digital divide is essential to ensure that no voter is left behind. Providing accessible and inclusive voting solutions for marginalized communities, persons with disabilities, and the elderly is a fundamental responsibility.

As investors, we are excited by the prospects of election technology not only in India but globally. Companies that can navigate the complexities of this space while prioritizing transparency, security, and inclusivity are well-positioned to create long-term value.

The 2024 elections serve as a reminder of the transformative power of technology in strengthening democracy. As voters across the world exercise their rights, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that election technology evolves to meet the needs of a digital-first citizenry. The future of democracy depends on it.