Prior to introduction of Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs), we had paper ballot. A Voter marked her/his choice, folded the ballot paper and put it in the ballot box.

It used to be well known fact in those days when booth capturing would take place and ballot papers were stamped to favor the candidate supported by the gang doing the booth capturing. With elections spread over several days to facilitate deployment of security forces at all electoral booths, this has significantly diminished if not altogether eliminated.

Sometimes the voter stamped it on two or more times, thereby invalidating her/his vote. This would happen sometimes by ignorance of the voter. This would also happen on purpose by the voter who did not wish to reveal that she/he did not vote where by she/he would have declared that she/he was against any of the candidates, each one of whom would probably have threatened her/him of dire consequences for not voting as directed to vote. The secrecy put her/him on safe grounds.

After the introduction of EVM, this safe mechanism has been probably inadvertently taken away from the voter.

This Petition is to demand of Full Restoration of Secrecy of Voting. This is possible to do by very simply introducing a button on the EVM which could be named “Not Voting”. This is equivalent to doing a multiple stamping on ballot paper.

In the tally of votes, Not Voting will also have to be announced along with those of real candidates.