Election Commission's EVM Challenge underway; NCP and CPI(M) attempt to temper voting machines

NCP and CPIM are undertaking Election Commission's EVM challenge thrown after allegations of wrongdoings in recent assembly elections by EC, neither Congress, BSP or AAP. Despite demands, none of the parties, demanding hackathon, are participating in it.  Instead, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is organising it's own parallel EVM hackathon. 

According to reports, NCP and CPIM has also pulled out of the challenge saying that they enrolled only to watch demonstration. 

Election Commission's EVM Challenge begins at EC Delhi office; NCP and CPI(M) participate. pic.twitter.com/JV21q8mdBl

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“The EVM challenge is on as scheduled. The NCP and the CPI-M have nominated three persons each for the challenge,” a Commission spokesperson said.

He said the two parties will get separate halls to try and tamper with the machines. The challenge will take place between 10 am and 2 pm.

The party will invite wizards and technical experts from political parties, the Election Commission and also the companies which provide the electronic voting machines (EVMs) to the poll panel, for the challenge.

Also Read | EVM Challenge: NCP, CPIM only parties to submit application to Election Commission; AAP, Congress raise issues

The rules of Election Commission’s’ EVM Challenge or Hackathon: 

Date: June 03, 2017, 10 AM to 2 PM

Venue: Nirvachan Bhawan, Delhi

Goal: To prove ECI-EVMs can be hacked

#Participants will have to prove that the EVMs used in the assembly elections in the five states were tampered with to favour a particular candidate or political party by altering the results stored in them.

#The claimants will have to alter the results in the control units used during these polls in exactly the same conditions in which EVMs remain under the technical and administrative safeguards of the EC after elections.

#Under part two of the challenge, the participants will have to prove that the EVMs used in the assembly polls were manipulated before or on the poll day.

Rules of hacking:

#Participants will choose four EVMs from the ones used in recent assembly elections 

#Each participating group will be given four hours to hack the machine.

#No participant shall be allowed to change the motherboard of EVMs and take the machines home to prove at a later date that they can be tampered with.

#Participants can ‘physically examine’ EVMs to check circuits, chips and the motherboard.

#Parties will be allowed to press any sequence of buttons on the control unit or voting machine or both. The parties can also use of any external wireless or bluetooth or mobile phone device or transmitter.

#At their own cost, participants can accompany the chosen EVMs from the warehouses to the Commission headquarters in New Delhi during transportation.

#The participant would be considered to have “failed” the challenge if the EVM stops functioning due its inbuilt anti-tampering mechanism.

#Also, the challenger would be considered to have failed if it showed the result of the booth where it was used during the assembly polls even after manipulation.

Jury: The challenge would be judged by members of the Technical Expert Committee of the EC mainly to ensure that the rules are followed and the machines are not damaged. They are independent of the Commission and do not charge anything for their service.