India, renowned worldwide as the largest democracy, conducted its 2024 General Election this year with over 900 million eligible voters. Throughout seven phases, millions of volunteers, administrative personnel, and security staff participated in this national election. Even as the ECI praised the fairness of the election, opinions arose from the public regarding electoral integrity, mainly centred on concerns about EVMs, the media, and the source of campaign funding. They help shape people’s views of democracy and determine whether elected officials are legitimate.
As India advances economically and technologically, it must preserve its democratic values in a more digital and divided world. We examine the challenges inherent in India’s electoral process, focusing on key areas that warrant change and require attention.
The Role of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)
For more than two decades, Electronic Voting Machines have been a prominent feature of India’s election process. EVMs were introduced to help make voting and counting easier and to lower the risk of both fraud and errors found with paper balloting. However, as the 2024 general elections took place, those same concerns about how secure, reliable, and transparent they are returned. However, the Election Commission of India says EVMs cannot be changed, yet some opposition parties and voters still have doubts. The topic highlights a significant conflict between new technology and people’s trust in democracy.
Trust and Transparency In Electoral Integrity
Since 2000, the use of Electronic Voting Machines in India has reduced the problems caused by paper voting and counting at polling stations. The ECI asserts that EVMs cannot be manipulated and are safe, thanks to strict guidelines and the addition of VVPAT machines for more transparency, the ECI stressed. Yet, voters and political parties feel less trust in one another today.
The opposition has frequently questioned the transparency of procedures for storing and transporting EVMs. When complaints arose about malfunctioning EVMs, discrepancies in EVM and VVPAT vote totals, and EVMs not arriving on time in 2024, people became suspicious. Regardless of what the ECI says, supporters continue to call for independent checks and greater transparency.
Demand for Paper Ballots
Several commentators and voters have suggested that India use paper ballots in close elections, or if people’s confidence in the EVM system is very low. Open-source voting machines are now being proposed, allowing anyone with technical knowledge to review the electoral software and hardware for errors.
Despite this, the courts decided that only five randomly picked EVMs must be verified using VVPAT during the 2024 elections, instead of all of them. As a result, those promoting accountability were sad because they thought enhanced vetting could bring more trust to the public.
Media Bias and Electoral Influence
Because India is such a diverse nation, the media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and keeping voters informed. However, concerns about media bias and partisan news were widespread during the 2024 general elections. Many analysts have noticed that some media outlets are giving support to the government, neglecting space for the opposition’s point of view. This situation alters democracy and may lead to less informed decisions from voters. In addition to traditional sources, the fast rise of social media has created new problems because people are so easily targeted by false and politically charged content.
A Polarized Media Landscape
The media in India, previously praised for diversity and independence, is now regularly accused of encouraging support for the BJP in politics. In the 2024 elections, the main television stations and newspapers left a strong impression that the BJP leaders, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, got much more attention than the opposition.
Media outlets that repeatedly repeat unquestioned government information create serious concerns about democracy. News reports can mislead the public, prevent people from expressing opposing views, and influence who is elected by emphasizing particular topics at the expense of others.
The Rise of Disinformation
Social media is making the issue worse in the Indian elections. Following the 2024 elections, Facebook, WhatsApp and X were filled with false news, edited films and upsetting content. Although the ECI and technology companies made efforts to address disinformation, the rules were not being implemented as quickly as needed.
Revenue-rich political parties called on digital networks and influencers to manage the information spread on the internet and distinguish facts from rumours. Because regulation and transparency in digital campaigning are weak, those with larger resources have an even bigger advantage.
Political Financing and Campaign Expenditures
Like many modern elections, India’s 2024 elections were primarily influenced by financial considerations. It is usually parties that have ample finances that can afford the costly activities necessary to win elections. Yet, the secrecy surrounding corporate and electoral bond donations during political funding has created doubts about fairness and accountability. Biased financial support for parties can skew the democratic balance, allowing wealth to outweigh the people’s backing in determining election outcomes.
The Mystery of Electoral Bonds
It has long been noted that political financing in India is unclear, and some parties receive significantly more money than others. In 2024, a significant debate arose regarding Electoral Bonds, introduced in 2018, which enabled individuals and firms to donate to political parties without disclosing their identities.
Although intended to remove black money from politics, experts argue that the law makes things less transparent and less accountable. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court declared the Electoral Bonds Scheme unlawful over its violation of the public’s right to know. Even so, questions remain about the effects of previous contributions on election outcomes and whether the new systems will truly be transparent.
Disproportionate Resources
Among all parties in the country, the BJP remains the richest. Data suggests that the party received almost three-quarters of all corporate donations recently. The party could afford to advertise more, reach a wider audience, provide transportation services, and support more candidates during the 2024 campaign.
These parties had difficulty competing, often doing so with the support of crowdfunding and public donations. The unfairness of the campaign resource distribution is a genuine concern for fair elections. The lack of strict rules for campaign financing could lead India toward a democracy ruled by the rich and connected, rather than by the will of the people.
The Role of the Election Commission of India
Lately, there has been a focus on the Election Commission, the constitutional group that supervises elections. Although it was previously valued for independence and ability, people now say the agency favours certain parties in its decisions.
For example, before the 2024 elections, many groups monitoring the situation accused the ECI of being slow to address hate speech and rule-breaking by top party members. Sometimes, political opponents were punished more sharply for minor errors.
Delegates believed that the ECI’s reactions to EVM and media issues were not proactive enough, thereby further questioning its credibility. Trust in politicians needs to be rebuilt by increasing transparency, keeping institutions free from undue outside influence, and possibly incorporating parliamentary mechanisms to monitor political movements.
Voter Turnout and Public Sentiment
Concerns about election integrity could not stop more than 66% of voters nationwide from participating in the 2024 general elections. It demonstrates that many Americans support using democracy, even as they question if it can be trusted. Still, analysts said urban people seem uninterested, and there are growing divisions among rural communities.
In both exit polls and post-election surveys, many voters appeared to have voted based on issues in their own area, social divisions, and their opinions about leaders, reflecting how Indian voters rely on emotion, identity, and reason.
The Road Ahead: Reforms for a Stronger Democracy
The country still has one of the widest and most reliable democratic systems anywhere. Nevertheless, urgent changes are necessary for the profession to protect its reputation.
Enhance public trust in electronic voting by open-sourcing their systems and conducting third-party audits.
- Establish an independent officer to oversee election media and penalize any dissemination of false information.
- Popular actions: Put all elections on a public funding system and limit how much money can be donated by companies.
- Enhance the independence of the ECI and enable the Commission to promptly and openly address cases of violations.
- Ensure that all digital ad spending and social media activities are made public in real-time.
- They matter not only in India but also as a model of how democracies survive in the present era.
Conclusion
These latest elections demonstrated both the strength and weakness of Indian democracy at times. Handling the election was quite efficient, although the unanswered issues of EVMs, media, and political funding pose a threat to its legitimacy. A democracy should exist in both its official structure and its principles, by giving all people equal treatment, being open, and being accountable.
To preserve the democratic principles that have guided India for over seven decades, the nation must strongly support fundamental changes to the electoral system. As a result, it will continue to lead the way toward democracy despite the rise of authoritarian regimes around the world.