EVM Management System (EMS)

The Election Commission had been using an outsourced application for the management of EVM machines which was called ETS. This software catered for EVM inventory management and also for randomisation. However, it was not able to cater to the Lok Sabha elections for the randomisation of the machines. 

EVM Management System is designed to manage inventory of EVM units. Tracking of units from manufacturer to state, state to state, district to district. It handles the whole election processes like marking FLC (First Level Check) OK and Not OK, Randomization (First and Second), Marking and unmarking Election Petition and receiving back units in the system after counting.

This application was launched on 25 Feb 2019.

Feature

EVM Management System is a centralized online tracking system, which keeps track of movement and placement of each machine from its production to its destruction.

This application is supplemented by a mobile application, which allows for scanning of the permanently encoded barcode of each machine. Once the machine is manufactured, then it’s digitized into EMS for every entry and all its exit point accounted through barcode.
EMS ensures scientific and random allocation of EVMs through the Randomization of the machines first at the Assembly Constituency level and other at the Polling Station level.

First Randomization: During the first Randomization, it is decided as to which place a particular set of the machine will go at assembly constituency level. This is done at the DEO level in the presence of political parties. Before finalization of Randomization, Randomization can be done multiple times to ensure the satisfaction of representatives of the political parties.

Second Randomization: Similarly, the second Randomization happens after the finalization of candidates. This Randomization is done for each polling station. This also happens in the presence of candidates/ representatives/ political parties.

Thus, first & second, both Randomization ensures that there is complete transparency and trust about the machines which are going to be used for polling.

The software also helps in tracking all the replacements of units which are allocated for conducting the poll. This helps in keeping records of machines that went in the second Randomization and which actually used in poll, in extend application is maintaining records of replacement at the level of commissioning, dispersal, mock and actual poll. 

Process Flow

1. Order Generation
   1. Manufacturer order 
   2. Scan process before sending units
   3. Scan process before receiving units
   4. Order receiving at District Warehouse
2. First Level Check
   1. FLC announce by Manufacturer/DEO
   2. FLC carries out through temp user
   3. FLC ok units will be transferred to Strong room
   4. Not ok units will be transferred to the Repair room
3. Randomization
4. Scheduling of the Randomization
5. First Randomization
6. Second Randomization
7. Supplementary Randomization
8. Replacement
9. Replacement of the units during the poll at different levels
10. Undo of the replacement, if required
11. Election Petition
12. Mark EP 
13. Unmark EP 

Outcome
The EMS Application had successfully been used for handling complete end to end movement of EVM/VVPAT during the election process of Lok Sabha-2019 and after that continuously being used in all the Assembly elections and bye-elections. The application was customized based on the states/ UTs requirements. It was successfully used for complete first and second Randomization in Lok Sabha-2019, Maharashtra Assembly Election, Haryana Assembly Election, Jharkhand Assembly Election and all the Bye Elections. This has resulted in a redundant process, improved the transaction time and has re-built the confidence of the candidates and political parties and the process of administrative procedure of EVM.

Statically application had handled 84,34,422 numbers of transactions in the short duration of 90 days during Lok Sabha Election-19 along with the handling of 70,01,489 machines. The application was successfully used in for 838 numbers of first Randomization and 4,549 numbers of the second Randomization in Lok Sabha-19.

EMS Mobile App

The erstwhile desktop-based mobile application for scanning the EVM machines was very limited in its use and not well integrated with the core inventory software. This created trouble in integration and scanning.
Introduction
EMS Mobile App is a core application of EMS, which allows users to scan the permanently encoded barcode of each machine (EVM/VVPAT) while they are in movement. It is used to scan the barcode on EVM/VVPAT at every entry and exit point before movement of these units.
This is a vital application which ensures that the EVM machines record are kept up to date, each machine is trackable, any replacement, training and repair are handled securely. 
This application was launched on 07-March-2019.

Features

Scanning of Units at Warehouse level to perform below activities:

1. Sending/ Receiving 
2. Awareness Units
3. Defective Repaired
4. First Level Check (FLC)
5. AC Level Randomization (First Randomization)
6. PS Level Randomization (Second Randomization)
7. Stock Entry
8. Receive After Poll
9. Loan to SEC

Process Flow

1. The task is assigned to send & receive units at sender and receiver’s location
2. Log-in by Temp User after OTP verification
3. The dashboard contains assigned order 
4. User clicks on an enabled module to scan units and allocated Units will be shown
5. One by One Scanning of units will decrease the number of units to be scanned

The outcome of the application
The EMS Mobile App had successfully been used for tracking complete end to end movement of EVM/VVPAT during election process of Lok Sabha-2019 and after that continuously being used in all the Assembly elections and bye-elections.