UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Why is the Centre opposed to totalisers?
Q1. The totaliser proposed for the counting of votes recorded in electronic voting machines is designed to club together, as a single combined count, the votes recorded in the control units of approximately how many polling booths?
- A. About 7 polling booths
- B. About 14 polling booths
- C. About 21 polling booths
- D. About 30 polling booths
Q2. With reference to the totaliser proposed for the counting of votes recorded in electronic voting machines, consider the following statements:
1. It is proposed to be attached as an interface to the main control units of a cluster of EVMs so that only a combined vote count is declared.
2. Its introduction has been recommended through an amendment to Rule 66A of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961.
3. It has been developed by the same two public sector undertakings that manufacture India's electronic voting machines.
4. Its use would replace polling-station-wise counting of the control units with a count of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail slips of the same booths.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- It is proposed to be attached as an interface to the main control units of a cluster of EVMs so that only a combined vote count is declared.
- Its introduction has been recommended through an amendment to Rule 66A of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961.
- It has been developed by the same two public sector undertakings that manufacture India's electronic voting machines.
- Its use would replace polling-station-wise counting of the control units with a count of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail slips of the same booths.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 only
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q3. Consider the following as grounds advanced in support of introducing a totaliser for the counting of votes:
1. It would prevent the voting pattern of particular localities or pockets from becoming known once results are declared.
2. It would counter the fear of intimidation and victimisation of voters in areas where the voting trend of each polling station can be determined.
3. It would shorten the counting process by dispensing with the supervision of counting by the Returning Officer of the constituency.
4. It would extend to EVMs a protection that ballot papers already enjoyed, namely mixing before counting.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- It would prevent the voting pattern of particular localities or pockets from becoming known once results are declared.
- It would counter the fear of intimidation and victimisation of voters in areas where the voting trend of each polling station can be determined.
- It would shorten the counting process by dispensing with the supervision of counting by the Returning Officer of the constituency.
- It would extend to EVMs a protection that ballot papers already enjoyed, namely mixing before counting.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1 and 4 only
Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the secrecy rationale behind the totaliser proposal:
1. The recommended amendment would empower the Election Commission of India to decide when, and in which constituency and polling booths, a totaliser is to be employed.
2. Use of a totaliser would make the disclosure of booth-wise voting patterns impossible in every constituency, since all polling stations of a State would necessarily be counted as a single unit.
3. The petitions before the Supreme Court contended that booth-wise counting of votes results in discrimination.
4. The Election Commission of India has supported the measure, while political parties have largely opposed it.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- The recommended amendment would empower the Election Commission of India to decide when, and in which constituency and polling booths, a totaliser is to be employed.
- Use of a totaliser would make the disclosure of booth-wise voting patterns impossible in every constituency, since all polling stations of a State would necessarily be counted as a single unit.
- The petitions before the Supreme Court contended that booth-wise counting of votes results in discrimination.
- The Election Commission of India has supported the measure, while political parties have largely opposed it.
- A. 2 only
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1 and 3
- D. 1, 2 and 4
Q5. In opposing the totaliser before the Supreme Court, the Union Government has argued that its use would cause an 'inevitable flow of information' from the electronic voting machines. This expression refers to which one of the following?
- A. The risk that data held in the control units becomes accessible when the machines are opened to attach the interface, even before counting begins
- B. The transmission of running vote totals from the counting centre to the Election Commission's central servers over a network in real time
- C. The publication by the Returning Officer of the turnout figures of each polling station at the conclusion of every round of counting
- D. The automatic display of candidate-wise figures on the control unit's panel during the mock poll conducted before polling begins
Q6. Consider the following statements regarding the positions taken by various institutions on the use of totalisers:
1. The Election Commission of India has supported the introduction of the totaliser as a safeguard for the secrecy of the voter.
2. A group of ministers headed by the Union Home Minister concluded that the use of the totaliser served no larger public interest and that there was no justification for introducing it at that juncture.
3. The Union Government has told the Supreme Court that it is opposed to electoral reforms as a class and, on that ground, to the totaliser as well.
4. Political parties have largely supported the totaliser while opposing the continuance of polling-station-wise counting.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- The Election Commission of India has supported the introduction of the totaliser as a safeguard for the secrecy of the voter.
- A group of ministers headed by the Union Home Minister concluded that the use of the totaliser served no larger public interest and that there was no justification for introducing it at that juncture.
- The Union Government has told the Supreme Court that it is opposed to electoral reforms as a class and, on that ground, to the totaliser as well.
- Political parties have largely supported the totaliser while opposing the continuance of polling-station-wise counting.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 2 only
- C. 3 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q7. The recommendation that a totaliser be used for the counting of votes recorded in EVMs, to be given effect by amending Rule 66A of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, was contained in a report on electoral reforms submitted by which one of the following?
- A. The Second Administrative Reforms Commission, in its report on ethics in governance
- B. The Law Commission of India, in a report submitted to the Ministry of Law and Justice
- C. The Technical Expert Committee constituted by the Election Commission of India on EVMs
- D. The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice
Q8. Consider the following statements comparing the counting of votes in the ballot paper era with counting under electronic voting machines:
1. Ballot papers of several polling stations could be mixed before counting, whereas votes recorded in EVMs are counted polling-station-wise.
2. Mixing of ballot papers before counting was provided for by a rule under the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, and the totaliser proposal seeks an enabling amendment to the same set of rules.
3. The Election Commission first placed the totaliser proposal before the Union Government only after the Law Commission's report on electoral reforms was submitted.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Ballot papers of several polling stations could be mixed before counting, whereas votes recorded in EVMs are counted polling-station-wise.
- Mixing of ballot papers before counting was provided for by a rule under the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, and the totaliser proposal seeks an enabling amendment to the same set of rules.
- The Election Commission first placed the totaliser proposal before the Union Government only after the Law Commission's report on electoral reforms was submitted.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q9. Consider the following statements regarding the Supreme Court's direction of September 2026 on totalisers:
1. The Bench directed the Central Government to re-examine the introduction of totalisers for the counting of votes recorded in EVMs.
2. The direction was issued by a Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant.
3. The Court held the existing polling-station-wise counting procedure to be unconstitutional and struck down the relevant rule.
4. The proceedings arose from a public interest litigation of 2014 seeking a direction that votes be mixed across polling stations within a constituency.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- The Bench directed the Central Government to re-examine the introduction of totalisers for the counting of votes recorded in EVMs.
- The direction was issued by a Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant.
- The Court held the existing polling-station-wise counting procedure to be unconstitutional and struck down the relevant rule.
- The proceedings arose from a public interest litigation of 2014 seeking a direction that votes be mixed across polling stations within a constituency.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 3 only
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 3 and 4
Q10. With reference to the totaliser matter as it stands before the Supreme Court, consider the following:
1. The relief sought is that votes recorded across polling stations within a constituency be mixed before the result is declared.
2. The 2026 direction requires the Union Government to reconsider the question, rather than compelling the immediate deployment of totalisers.
3. The 2026 direction requires the Election Commission to throw open the totaliser hardware to an open public challenge before it may be introduced.
4. Notices had been issued to the Union Government and the Election Commission at an earlier stage of the same litigation.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- The relief sought is that votes recorded across polling stations within a constituency be mixed before the result is declared.
- The 2026 direction requires the Union Government to reconsider the question, rather than compelling the immediate deployment of totalisers.
- The 2026 direction requires the Election Commission to throw open the totaliser hardware to an open public challenge before it may be introduced.
- Notices had been issued to the Union Government and the Election Commission at an earlier stage of the same litigation.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q11. Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad — one of the two undertakings that manufacture India's EVMs and that have developed the totaliser — is best described as which one of the following?
- A. A public sector undertaking functioning under the Department of Atomic Energy
- B. A public sector undertaking functioning under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- C. An autonomous research institution funded by the Department of Science and Technology
- D. A public sector undertaking functioning under the Department of Space
Q12. The proceedings in which the Supreme Court has been considering the use of totalisers for counting of votes originated in which one of the following?
- A. A public interest litigation of 2014 filed by two individuals seeking mixing of votes across polling stations
- B. A writ petition of 2013 filed by a recognised national political party against booth-wise counting of votes
- C. A reference made to the Court by the Election Commission of India in 2008 on its electoral reform proposals
- D. An appeal against a High Court judgment on the counting of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail slips