Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Sept 4: In a move that could have major implications for electoral procedures in the state, the Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday decided to recommend the use of ballot papers — instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) — for all upcoming panchayat and urban local body elections, law and parliamentary affairs minister H K Patil announced.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Patil said the government was responding to what it perceives as a growing lack of public trust in EVMs. “There is an erosion of confidence and credibility among people towards EVMs,” the minister said.

The cabinet’s recommendation will now be formally sent to the State Election Commission (SEC), which is the constitutional authority responsible for conducting local body elections in the state.

Patil explained that the state government will take necessary legal steps to enable the shift back to paper ballots. “For the State Election Commission to prepare electoral rolls and do the necessary revision for the local body polls, the state cabinet has decided to make necessary laws and to amend rules,” he said.

This development signals a policy shift from recent years, during which EVMs have become the standard mechanism for voting in India. However, concerns—mostly raised by political parties and activists—over the potential vulnerability and lack of transparency in electronic voting appear to have influenced the cabinet's decision.

Patil clarified that the government will initiate the required legislative amendments to facilitate the SEC’s logistical and administrative preparations for ballot-based polling. “It has been decided to recommend to the State Election Commission to hold all the upcoming polls in ballot papers instead of EVMs,” he reiterated.

The final call, however, lies with the SEC, which holds autonomous authority over the conduct of local body elections. If accepted, this could mark the first major return to manual voting in Karnataka’s civic body elections in over a decade.