The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a new move to make voting easier for people. Starting with the Bihar elections, electronic voting machines (EVMs) will now feature colour photographs of candidates alongside their party symbols.
The step comes amid ongoing debates about vote tampering and EVM misuse. By adding photographs, the ECI hopes to prevent confusion among voters, particularly in rural areas where candidates may be less familiar.
In the new machines, the photograph will occupy three-fourths of the allotted space and will be in colour, unlike older machines that carried either black-and-white photos or none at all. Candidate serial numbers will also be displayed more prominently.
The ECI believes this initiative will help voters identify their preferred candidates easily and minimise mistakes during polling. The decision follows tensions during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which had sparked a war of words between the Commission and opposition parties.
