Can someone else vote in your name by faking your identity? The Apex Court ruling on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) is a landmark judgement setting at rest the speculations that these electronic devices were replaceable.

Printed ballot paper is now part of the history. It is still in use but its role is extremely limited. While going through me old note books I was reminded of an episode when there were allegations that a woman allegedly sold her and her husbands votes. It happened in a remote rural constituency of Hoshiarpur. It happened in late 80s or early 90s. We were in that area covering the polling in various parts of Punjab when we chanced to get to a Dalit family engaged in heated exchanges over missing or sold votes. While the house lady maintained that she safely put the voting slips – mistaking them for votes – under the picture of “Baba Ji”, her husband did not believe her.

Since the woman had been asking for some money for her parents, husband was convinced that she sold their votes for a big price. The woman, however, denied the allegation pleading innocence. We intervened and took them to their polling booth which was less than 500 m from their home. The poll officials told them that their votes were there. They exercised their franchise in our presence and returned home happily.

A poll official, a young school teacher, explained how safe was a vote and the only day it carried value was the day of polling. After polling is over its value is zero, he explained to the couple and other villagers who had witnessed the earlier drama when allegations and counter allegations flew high at their dilapidated home.

(Prabhjot Singh is a veteran journalist with over three decades of experience of 14 years with Reuters News and 30 years with The Tribune Group, covering a wide spectrum of subjects and stories. He has covered Punjab and Sikh affairs for more than three decades besides covering seven Olympics and several major sporting events and hosting TV shows.)