INDIA IMPLEMENTS E-VOTING

[Irfan Khan <khania2@super.net.pk>]

[from NewsScan Daily, 23 April 2004]


INDIA IMPLEMENTS E-VOTING

    For decades, millions of illiterate Indians voted by pressing their
thumbprints on ballot cards. This year, they'll just press a button -- and
so will everyone else. India's general elections, which began Tuesday, are
set to make the world's largest democracy also the world's largest user of
computerized voting machines. This year, in a staggered vote that runs
through May 10, India's 660 million registered voters will be able to
exercise their franchise on one of approximately 1 million computerized
voting machines in an electronic, ballot-less election. The change in India
is having a deep impact on politics. Supporters say it's also good for the
environment in a country trying to save its vanishing forests. More than
8,000 tons of paper, made from approximately 16 million trees, has been used
to print ballots for past federal elections. (The Australian 22 Apr 2004)
http://tinyurl.com/366ly (Rec'd from John Lamp, Deakin U)