Remote Voting Machine
Also called: RVM, Remote EVM · Topic: Electoral Reforms: Money, Criminalisation and Simultaneous Elections · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A Remote Voting Machine (RVM) is a special type of EVM that can handle many constituencies at once. It would let a domestic migrant vote for their home constituency from a polling station in the city where they now live. A domestic migrant is someone who has moved to another part of India for work or study. The Election Commission showed a prototype, or trial model, in January 2023. One remote booth could serve up to 72 constituencies. It has not been adopted because political parties objected.
Example
Suppose a worker from Bihar lives in Mumbai. Today, they must travel home to vote. With an RVM booth in Mumbai, they could vote for their Bihar constituency without travelling. Nearly 34% of eligible voters did not vote in 2024, and migrants form a large part of this group.
Don't confuse with
- Postal ballot: this is a paper vote sent by post and is used today by groups such as service voters. The RVM is only a prototype and is not in use.