Mangalore: Canara High Students elect Leaders through ‘e-voting’    

News & Pics: Manju Neereshwallya
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SB)
 
 
Mangalore, Jun 21: Electronic voting machines (EVMs) are the latest to hit the general electoral system in the country as far as gadget to enable voters to exercise their franchise is concerned. However, Canara High School, Dongerkery in the City has gone a step ahead and introduced e-voting, whereby the students elected their leaders on Saturday June 20.

Unique secret code
 
Once students filed nominations for the post of school pupil leader (SPL) and assistant student pupil leader (ASPL), colourful ballot papers with name and photographs of the candidates were readied. Then every student was provided with secret voter’s code. The students could vote only by using this unique secret code. This automatically avoided incidents such as students voting more than once or voting in other’s name.
 
More than 15 computers at the computer laboratory were converted into polling booths making use of computer programming. Students first had to obtain voter ID password and thus become eligible to cast vote. As a next step the students have to choose students of their choice as SPL from earlier readied ballot papers. Only completion of this step will ensure that student next gets to elect ASPL of his choice. With these steps the procedure of voting is completed.
 
Introduction to advancement of computer technology
 
School headmaster Umesh Mallya speaking about the unique experiment said that this was a step to introduce students to the immense prospect of advancement through computer technology as well as to enhance students’ interest in the field. Last year the students at the school had voted through e-polling.
 
A total of 989 students of the school participated enthusiastically in the polling and procedures such as checking of the voters’ list as well as application of ink as a mark determining that the vote was caste by the students were held under the guidance of the teachers of the school.
 
The virtual voting machine was developed by Vagsons Technologies Pvt Ltd. Time limit to cast votes and final results in a short time after the polling is conducted are some of the special features of the software that enabled smooth conduct of election.