An electronic voting system is an exclusive secure platform to cast votes in favor of a party, person, or topic. It finds its usage in business meetings, government bodies, schools, colleges, etc. However, before using such a system, you should ask a few frequently asked questions.
How do I know it is working? Does it maintain the secrecy of vote? Can it track my personal information? Therefore, here is a list of the most searched questions about EMV, their utilities, and other aspects of the machine for your reference:
What is an Electronic Voting System (EVS)?
Polling is essential to understand the views, knowledge, or opinion of your audience. Whether it is a departmental security training quiz or selecting a secretary for college, every sector requires the input of the audience.
Systems for conducting votes at conferences and community or business gatherings are known as the conference polling applications. Systems for conducting voting on articles, motions, or elections are called electronic voting systems. Whether you need to know the responses of the audience during a presentation or replace a hand or voice vote with a quick and accurate electronic vote count, it helps to use these systems.
Who Uses an Electronic Voting System?
Electronic voting systems find their uses in different sectors and organizations, for example:
- Local city councils and government organizations use these systems to speed up the election process and create a permanent voting record.
- Many fraternities use such devices to manage their elections and to pass their resolutions. These are also helpful in audience engagement, and the records are beneficial for historical searches.
- EVSs also find uses in religious institutions. Churches use voting systems to resolve their differences efficiently, without wasting time.
- Homeowners’ Associations (HOAs) and Condominium Boards utilize such systems to avoid conflicts of interest and to increase participation of the voters.
- Charities also require proper voting systems to carry out different elections of officials running their organizations.
Overall, wherever there is any requirement of fast and accurate election or polling, EVS is a great, affordable solution. From sports teams to NGOs, government sectors to tribal groups, everyone can use these voting machines to conduct their official business.
What Are the Benefits of Using Such EVSs?
EVS is extremely useful in conducting secured polls and voting sessions. Some of the advantages of using such devices are:
- Easy-to-use software that collects data and displays the results instantly after the poll is closed.
- A secure, proprietary system that works on close-ended RF networks to maintain privacy.
- The wireless electronic device minimizes manual entry, vote collection, counting, and errors.
- Anonymity of each vote, if desired, or tracking the vote per individual when needed.
- On-screen results display as an instant public record.
- Standard (Excel) format of reports that can be shared with the officials right after the session
- Easy-to-learn clickers show each participant’s vote and confirmation that the vote has been counted.
- Software shows the results as “Pass” or “Fail” immediately after the poll is closed.
- Several layers of data security and proprietary communication protocol
Is It Possible to Cast Vote Pressing the Same Button Again?
Generally, the electronic voting clickers record your vote as soon as you press the button of the machine. The device records the votes instantly and confirms it to the voter directly on its display. Generally, there is no allowance to vote more than once, so when you press the same or even a different button, only the last vote counts. The device and the secure communication protocol make sure that each vote counts and that every user can cast only one vote.
For a different purpose, you can set up a multi-vote poll where you can specify how many times can each keypad vote, so that you can ask a question that starts with: “Select all that apply…” or “Pick your top 3…”
Is It Better to Rent A Device or Buy It?
There are specific advantages of buying as well as renting an EVS. In the case of renting, there is no maintenance cost, and it is quite affordable. However, if you end up using the polling devices often, renting would not be a practical or economical choice. It is advisable to invest in a high-end electronic voting machine if you want to use the system regularly.
