Are online Elections possible?

I always thought a lot of arguments and ways to do online election. Misuse is the biggest concern.

Sometimes, big problems have very simple solutions with small common sense.

Yesternight, when I was sleeping and an idea stuck in my mind that “Elections are Similar to online money transfer”.

Elections are similar to online money transfer

Voter Id = Bank Account (send only Bank accounts).

Candidate = Bank Account (receive only Bank accounts).

Vote = Send money (1 INR) from Voters Bank to Candidate Account

ECI = RBI

If you Imagine, Complete elections are basically a “Bank money transfer”.

Just before the election, Candidate file affidavit to contest election from a particular constituency. It is like opening the “Candidate Bank Account”. like banks have different types of Bank account, “Candidate Bank Account” is one type of Bank account which can receive money (voter) but cannot send it.

During the election, every Voter is allowed to perform only 1 vote. It is like, Just before Election, “Election Bank” transfer 1 rupee to every Voters Bank account. Later Voter can use that 1 Rupee.

One the day of Election, people cast vote on EVM. This is similar to sending money to “Candidate Bank account”. In normal bank accounts, we can transfer any amount like 0.45 Rupee too. In Election Bank, we can set the minimum and maximum transfer limit to 1 Rupee.

In Normal voting, you can cast your vote only to the candidates who are in your constituency. We can add this rule too in the Election Bank Transfer process. Money can only flow from one Voter Bank account to Candidate Bank account in the SAME Constituency.

When we visit Polling booth centers, we find EVM machines where all the candidates are listed. The same listing can be done online too.

Voter Bank account “should be” be linked with Aadhaar card and Aadhaar already has a mobile number too.

OTP based login is very secure. Voters should be able to login using mobile OTP. This OTP based login process will be used to make a “mobile app” based voting.

If you look carefully, the whole election process is very similar to the banking system and payment transfer with a few additional rules and process.

The current banking system already works both online and offline and we have sufficient technology make “Election” as a digital election where we voters should be able to cast our vote 🗳 in both ways

Bank Branch and Paper slip based money transfer === EVM

Online, mobile app and Internet-based money transfer === Election App

lots of people are unable to cast vote because they don’t live in their constituency. If Elections are made the way we do online transaction, It will save HUGE money saving activity.

Cost of Indian Election 2019 is 6,500 Cr Rupee. This is huge money. ISRO can send 16+ satellites with the same money.

So, If we could save this huge money by making a “Bank-based” online voting process, one day, I will be able to Vote from PayTM too.

Comments are welcome !!

Update: 28 May 2019 - Cost of election corrected to 6500 Cr rupee!