Election Commission defends EVMs amid Tulsi Gabbard’s tampering remarks

Amid global scrutiny of electronic voting systems, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard warned that such systems are vulnerable to manipulation and hacking.

Speaking at a US cabinet meeting convened by President Donald Trump, Gabbard stated that American electronic voting systems were vulnerable to hacking and manipulation.

She also stressed that the US intelligence community has “evidence” of vote manipulation capabilities in electronic voting systems, urging a shift to paper ballots in the United States.

While she was referring specifically to systems used in the US, her comments sparked renewed scrutiny of electronic voting mechanisms worldwide.

Also Read: Congress rakes up EVM issue again after Trump’s comment

'Indian EVMs are safe'

In response to Gabbard’s remarks about the vulnerabilities in electronic voting systems (EVS), the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a strong statement reaffirming the integrity of the Indian Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

The ECI clarified that Indian EVMs differ significantly from complex EVS used elsewhere.

“Our machines are like simple, accurate calculators,” an ECI official said, noting that they have no connectivity to private networks, internet, Wi-Fi, or infrared, making remote tampering impossible.

The EC official further clarified that while electronic voting systems in some countries rely on complex digital networks, India’s EVMs are standalone and secure.

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“They do not use any private networks. There is no scope for interference,” the source explained.

EVMs in India consist of two units — a ballot unit for voter input and a control unit managed by polling officials. The devices are physically secure at all times and subjected to mock polls in the presence of political parties before actual voting begins.

Court-tested machines

Indian EVMs have consistently passed judicial scrutiny, including reviews by the Supreme Court.

Over five crore VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) slips have been manually verified and matched during counting, further reinforcing transparency.

The EC maintains that Indian EVMs are built for trust and transparency. With nearly 100 crore voters in the country, the EC says it’s proud of a system that enables rapid, secure, and verifiable elections - without relying on vulnerable digital networks.

Political debate intensifies

Despite these assurances, opposition leaders such as Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge have called for a return to paper ballots, citing similar moves in developed nations.

Gabbard’s remarks have intensified the political debate in India, with the Congress questioning the government’s silence and demanding a formal investigation into EVM reliability.

Also Read: Amid EVM-tampering claims, NCP(SP) leader reveals how he ensured win

Highlighting the distinction, the ECI noted that EVS in some countries are built on multi-layered systems involving software, cloud storage, and internet networks.

In contrast, Indian EVMs are standalone devices, eliminating the risk of external cyber intrusion.

While calls for reverting to paper ballots persist, the ECI’s statement seeks to instill public confidence in India’s electoral process, dismissing any parallels with US vulnerabilities.