From Ballot Papers to EVMs: How India’s Elections Transformed
Written by Karan Sharma
India’s democracy once depended on stacks of ballot papers, not machines.
Voters marked their choice with a stamp or pen on a paper sheet.
Each ballot was folded and dropped into a sealed ballot box.
After polling, counting began manually—vote by vote, paper by paper.
Officials and party agents ensured transparency during counting.
A small mark on paper could decide a leader’s destiny.
Results often took two to three days—or even a week—to finalize.
The excitement and suspense made every election feel like a festival.
Today, EVMs bring results within hours—but the ballot era built the foundation of India’s democracy.