Election is a regular occurrence in any free country. It is the way the citizens of the country express their choice as to the political party that they deem fit to work for the betterment of the society and provide the basic amenities to the citizens.
To make this process transparent and not influenced by the power of nay party is the biggest priority of conducting an election. This is done so that citizens can vote without any fear. Thus, the process of casting vote needs to be one that provides secrecy to the voter.
PROS AND CONS OF USING BALLOT PAPER
| PROS | CONS |
| Hacking is not as easy with the usage of ballot paper. | The cost of execution is huge. |
| Using a system that is manual saves troubles that can come with technology. | The labour that goes into the process is a lot. |
| If there occurs any need to recount the votes, it is easy with ballot paper. | The chances of human error are high. |
| The voter can double check their vote. | It is harmful for the environment. |
| The secrecy of the voter is well maintained. | The process is not time efficient. |
| The procedure is easy to understand. | This system of voting is not suitable for the disabled. |
| It is the fastest way of casting votes. | The illiterate section of the society face problem with this method. |
| For the older citizens, it is a familiar way of casting votes. | |
| It can accommodate additional voters. |
PROS OF USING BALLOT PAPER
- NO HACKING
As opposed to voting machines that face several allegations of being hacked and not producing the perfect result for the election, ballot papers are not possible to hack. Therefore, the usage of ballot papers makes the voting process a lot more trustworthy and voters can feel relieved that their votes will actually make a difference.
- NO MALFUNCTION
With machines and technological advancements come the difficulties associated with them. Machines break down all the time and it takes an expert and a considerable amount of time to put the machine back to use. Using ballot papers prevent the occurrence of any such problem as anyone can use it.
- EASY RECOUNT
If problems arise and a recount of votes become necessary, it happens very smoothly when ballot papers are involved. As the process is completely manual, a process of recount will just involve extra time to count the votes as opposed to the technical hindrance that might arise in case of recount for voting machines.
- EASY TO DOUBLE CHECK
After the voters cast their votes in ballot papers, they can easily double check if the vote was cast properly. In case of any mistake, the voters can even take help. Whereas, voting machines do not give the voters the option to double check and there is nothing that can be done if a vote is casted wrongly.
- SECRECY MAINTAINED
The secrecy of the voter is maintained and the identity of the voter is not at the risk of getting revealed as the voter do not need any assistance with this process.
- EASY TO UNDERSTAND
The procedure of voting using a ballot paper is very easy to understand and almost everyone can cast their vote without any assistance from anyone else. Without any other process, people might need help understanding the system and time to get used to it.
- CAST VOTES FASTER
The process of understanding how to use ballot paper and then getting used to it takes little time and effort. This makes the voting process easier and faster as no time is wasted in making the voter understand the process of casting the vote.
- FAMILIAR PROCESS
The senior citizens of the country are familiar with the process of voting using a ballot paper and hence it is easier for them to cast votes thus, making the entire process faster.
- ACCOMODATING ADDITIONAL VOTERS
With voting machines, accommodating additional voters is a problem. On the other hand, the usage of ballot paper in the voting process makes accommodating additional voters an easy task as everything is done manually.
CONS OF USING PAPER BALLOT
- COST INVOLVED
The cost of conducting the election using ballot paper is a lot. There needs to be separate ballot paper for each place and information leaflets needs to be physically distributed to the voters. This involves a lot of expense.
- LABOUR
The efforts that needs to be put in for an election with ballot papers is a lot. This is because everything needs to be done manually. From registering the voters to counting the votes, everything is done manually. A lot of people need to be hired and trained for this purpose.
- HUMAN ERROR
No matter how careful people are, we all know that to err is human. The losing or mis recording of ballots accidentally is a risk and a part of human vulnerabilities. These errors can discard the votes which is a problem as each vote is very precious and can alter the final outcome of the election.
- ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
The use of ballot paper for election is not very favourable for the environment. The process involves the use and wastage of a humungous amount of paper. This in turn harms the environment and causes a huge number of trees to be cut off.
- NOT TIME EFFICIENT
As each and everything is done manually in case of paper ballots, it requires a lot of time. Counting the votes or preparing for the election manually takes up a considerable amount of time.
- PROBLEM FOR THE BLIND
For the people who have impaired vision, it is next to impossible for them to vote without the help of anyone else. In this way ballot papers are not inclusive as the problems faced by the marginalised are ignored.
- PROBLEM FOR THE ILLETERATE
The illiterate people will need the help of another person to read the ballot paper and they might get misguided.
Using ballot paper is an old and effective process for conducting elections. However, with the emergence of voting machines, ballot papers have become a less efficient way of voting.
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