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Why EVMs Aren’t Used in the Vice President Election (Complete Guide to Voting and Counting in India 2025)

The Vice President’s election is one of India’s most important votes. While most people connect elections here with EVMs, these machines aren’t used when members of Parliament pick the Vice President. That’s because this vote works differently from the general elections, which use EVMs for their speed and accuracy.

Instead, MPs cast their votes using a paper ballot and rank the candidates in order of preference. The system needs each vote’s order, not just the most popular name. EVMs were never designed for this kind of count. Many people wonder about this difference, especially since EVMs work well for Lok Sabha and assembly elections. If you’re curious about why there’s a special process for the Vice President’s election, keep reading for a simple and complete explanation.

[Watch this explainer on YouTube for more:

Who Votes in the Vice Presidential Election?

Unlike the national and state elections, the Vice President of India is not chosen by the public. You won’t find your name on the voter list for this post, no matter where you live. Instead, a select group—India’s Members of Parliament—get the power and responsibility to pick the country’s next Vice President. This process is unique and deliberate, making the entire event feel more like a civic ceremony than a general election.

Not a Public Vote: Who Makes Up the Electoral College?

For the Vice President’s election, the Electoral College is much smaller than what people imagine in presidential elections. Only the members of India’s two main parliamentary houses have a say:

• Lok Sabha (House of the People)
• Rajya Sabha (Council of States)

Members sit in Parliament, debate laws, and in this case, select the Vice President. There’s no participation from state legislative assemblies or the general public—this is Parliament’s job alone.

Breakdown of Voting Members

The total headcount is straightforward but still impressive in scale. Here’s what the Electoral College looked like for the 2025 Vice Presidential election:

Source: Press Information Bureau

Members from both houses, whether nominated or elected, can vote in this process. The system is clear—every MP gets a ballot and their vote counts the same.

Why this System is Unique

• No general public involvement: Everyday citizens do not vote in this election.
• All MPs, one value per vote: Each MP’s vote holds equal weight. No complex point system; it’s simple and uniform.
• No state assemblies involved: Only Parliament, not state politicians or MLAs, decide.

This tight group reflects the Vice President’s primary responsibilities—presiding over the Rajya Sabha and standing in for the President if needed. For a deeper dive into the process and the numbers behind each session, check out this detailed explainer from The Hindu.

In short, the Vice Presidential election is a Parliament-only event with clarity in who votes, how many vote, and why it’s set up this way.

How Is Voting Done for the Vice President?

When it’s time to select the Vice President of India, the voting room in Parliament feels different from ordinary elections. No electronic buzz of machines, just the soft shuffle of paper. This traditional process centers on paper ballots—a system that’s stayed consistent even as technology transformed other polls in India. Here’s how and why India’s Vice President election puts careful attention on paper, pen, and privacy.

The Role of Ballot Paper and Special Pens

For the Vice President’s election, voting happens on simple paper ballots, not EVMs. Each Member of Parliament (MP) receives a ballot paper printed with the names of all candidates. This tried-and-true approach isn’t just about nostalgia. The system supports the unique demands of the poll: MPs must mark their preferred candidates in order, using numbers to show first, second, and sometimes further preferences.

Why use this method and not digital machines? The main reason is flexibility. Ranking candidates is easy with a pen and paper ballot, but complicated for a voting machine built only for single choices. It’s not just about choices, though—security is at the core.

Special writing instruments seal the deal for uniformity and secrecy. Each MP gets a unique, officially supplied pen—often one with a particular ink color (like violet)—to ensure that only valid, authorized marks count. These pens can’t be swapped out for personal pens, reducing any risk of unusual inks or faint pencil marks that might mark a ballot as suspicious. The goal is to make every vote counted equally and clearly.

Preserving secrecy is the soul of this process. Each voting booth is set up for privacy, much like a classic exam cubicle, so no prying eyes can see how an MP marks their ballot. Once finished, the voter folds the ballot and drops it into a sealed box. Even close colleagues can’t tell who picked which candidate—secrecy is strictly guarded, staying true to the Parliamentary tradition of conscience voting.

Order and fairness matter, too. Ballot papers are only valid when filled with the supplied pen, and any stray mark, initial, or accidental drawing can invalidate the vote. Scrutiny is tough but necessary for fairness.

Security and transparency stay on full display throughout the process:

• Ballot boxes are signed and sealed before voting starts.
• Independent observers and returning officers supervise the room.
• Votes are counted only when everyone has finished marking ballots.

This method, kept up for decades, is still trusted for its transparency and simplicity. The process didn’t just stick around by chance; it proved itself as the best fit for a complex Parliamentary election, where privacy and precision trump speed. To learn more about every step, the official page on the Vice President’s election has all the rules and guidance spelled out in detail.

Through tradition, close checks, and simple tools, India’s Vice Presidential election hands every MP a rare kind of power: a vote that is truly their own, cast in secrecy but counted with care.

How Are Votes Counted in Vice Presidential Elections?

After the last Member of Parliament casts their ballot for the Vice President, the next phase begins—the all-important counting. Unlike regular elections where machines speed things up, here, officials sort and count paper ballots by hand. The process is transparent and carefully monitored from start to finish. Senior parliamentary staff, led by the Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha (who acts as the Returning Officer), oversee every step.

Ballot boxes remain sealed until the polling is complete. Only then are they opened, in view of authorized representatives. The Returning Officer and their team first check every ballot for validity (right pen, no stray marks, correct preferences). Once all valid votes are counted, the real magic of India’s Vice Presidential contest—the method called proportional representation with a single transferable vote—unfolds.

Proportional Representation and Single Transferable Vote Explained

The Vice President’s election uses a system that lets every MP’s preference matter, not just their top pick. This method avoids “winner takes all” and focuses on fair representation. It may sound technical, but the logic behind it is easy to follow.

How does it work?

• Each MP ranks the candidates (1 for first choice, 2 for second, and so on).
• For a vote to count, the MP must mark at least their first preference. Adding more is optional, but it comes in handy if their top choice drops out after the first round.
• To win, a candidate needs to pass a threshold called the “quota.” The quota equals half the total valid votes, plus one.

Let’s use a simple example:

Imagine there are 100 valid ballots and 3 candidates: A, B, and C. The quota to win is calculated:

• (100 ÷ 2) + 1 = 51

All first preference votes are counted. If Candidate A gets 51 or more, they win. If not, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is dropped. Those ballots are then checked for next preferences—if they marked B or C as their second choice, their vote moves to that candidate.

This transfer keeps going, round by round, until one candidate passes the quota. In short:

1. Ballots sorted for first choice.
2. No majority? Lowest gets dropped.
3. Their votes are reassigned to the next preference.
4. Repeat until someone crosses the quota.

Why is this different from a regular majority vote?

• Instead of picking just a favorite, each MP can show a real order of preference. If your favorite isn’t popular, your backup choice still has a shot.
• It reduces wasted votes and truly reflects Parliament’s opinion across party lines.

To see official details on this system, including constitutional rules and custom practices, you can take a look at the Government of India’s guide to the Vice President’s election.

This method, called the Single Transferable Vote, is praised for making every MP’s vote meaningful and preventing odd results that don’t reflect the wider mood. For a clear breakdown of the STV with visual examples, the Electoral Reform Society explains how preferences shift and winners emerge.

Key takeaways:

• Every ballot gets checked by hand.
• Supervisors double-check for valid markings and confidentiality.
• Votes move through rounds until one candidate clears the magic number.

This process ensures the Vice President’s election is not just a contest of numbers, but a careful tallying of true preferences from every corner of Parliament.

Why Electronic Voting Machines Are Not Used

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have been a mainstay for India’s massive public elections, bringing both speed and accuracy. But when it comes to the Vice President’s election, the process goes entirely old-school. This isn’t just about tradition—there are clear and practical reasons why EVMs stay out of Parliament’s chambers for this important vote.

The Electoral College is Small and Clearly Defined

The Vice President’s election involves a trusted group of less than 800 Members of Parliament, all carefully listed and verified. Unlike the millions of voters in a general election, this is a select group—every person is already a sitting MP and is known to the election officials. This small, closed pool makes complex technology unnecessary.

• Each vote is recorded individually, with clear oversight at every step.
• Ballot papers allow for tight control and easy verification, reducing the risk of confusion or error.

When the entire electorate can fit into one room and each ballot can (and must) be checked by hand, the logistical need for EVMs fades away.

Preferential Voting System is Not EVM-Friendly

Here’s the biggest technical barrier: the Vice President’s election uses a “preferential voting” method, also called the single transferable vote (STV). Instead of picking just one name, MPs rank the candidates in order of choice.

• Voters write “1” for their top pick, “2” for their next pick, and so on.
• Counting involves checking for first preferences, then redistributing votes if needed, following next preferences in a very specific way.

Current EVMs are designed for simple “choose one candidate” ballots, perfect for direct elections. They’re not programmed to capture ranked choices or to handle the math of vote transfers that STV requires. Adapting EVMs for this kind of ranking and dynamic counting would require major redesigns, which are neither practical nor tested for Parliamentary use.

If the system can’t guarantee every preference is recorded and counted perfectly, it’s not suitable for India’s second-highest office. That’s why the Election Commission’s official FAQs state that “the system of voting does not require or use EVMs.”

The Need for Secret and Independent Voting

Secrecy is a cornerstone for the Vice President’s election. The process is there to let MPs vote their mind without pressure or scrutiny. Ballot papers are marked in private booths, with special pens and procedures for absolute secrecy—no stray mark or signature allowed.

Using EVMs would raise concerns about tracking votes, audit trails, or even just perceived lapses in privacy, given how technology typically records choices. Parliament wants a process where no digital, mechanical, or indirect tracing is possible. The use of paper ballots, counted in public view, makes that principle crystal clear.

Backed by Legal and Constitutional Rules

India’s election law sets strict boundaries on this process. Article 66 of the Indian Constitution spells out that the Vice President “shall be elected…in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote and the voting at such election shall be by secret ballot.” There’s no mention of machines in the law—just clear language about secrecy, ranking, and strict oversight (see Article 66 text).

Further, the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act and Rules (1974) cover every detail of the process–from issuing official pens to the Returning Officer’s duties and secrecy measures (full rules here). These rules confirm that the current paper ballot system is not just tradition, but a legal requirement.

Summary Table: Why No EVMs for Vice President Election

For those who want to review every rule, the complete Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, as well as the latest directions on secrecy and counting, are public (see official legislative text). The clear takeaway is simple: the real checks and balances needed for this special election call for paper, privacy, and a human touch—never a machine.

Conclusion

The Vice President’s election in India clearly stands apart from regular public elections. It involves a small group of Members of Parliament voting by secret paper ballots, not using EVMs. This method respects the unique requirement of the single transferable vote system, where MPs rank candidates in order of preference—a system EVMs cannot handle.

Using paper ballots ensures transparency and secures each MP’s privacy, protecting the integrity of their choice. The entire process follows strict rules, including special pens and close supervision, which guarantee every vote is counted fairly and confidentially.

This distinctive approach safeguards the democratic process at one of the highest levels of India’s governance. It combines trusted tradition with legal safeguards to preserve the dignity, secrecy, and accuracy of the vote, reaffirming confidence in how such crucial decisions are made.