Sabeer Bhatia, the visionary co-founder of Hotmail, has publicly called for India to replace its traditional Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with a modern, secure voting application powered by artificial intelligence. Bhatia proposed this significant technological shift to address what he termed the "Election Commission's voter-ID problem."
In a recent post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Bhatia outlined his solution. He suggested a system where each voter would declare their identity and citizenship within the app. The core of his proposal involves using AI-assisted identity verification to flag any discrepancies for review, ensuring a system of "One citizen. One verified identity. One vote."
Addressing Voter Identification Challenges
Bhatia's critique targets the perceived obsolescence of current electoral technology. He questioned the continued reliance on what he described as "20th-century technology" for a fundamental democratic process like voting. His proposed AI-assisted voting app aims to streamline the voter identification process, making it more secure and efficient by leveraging advanced digital verification methods.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) currently employs a multi-faceted approach to voter verification and registration. This includes various digital and physical methods designed to ensure accuracy and accessibility for citizens across the country.
Current ECI Verification Methods
- Online Portals: Voters can verify their details via the Voters Service Portal (VSP) using their EPIC Number or personal information like name, date of birth, and district.
- Mobile Applications: The Voter Helpline App provides a convenient digital platform for similar verification tasks.
- SMS and Helpline: For those without consistent internet access, SMS verification (sending ECI to 1950) and a toll-free National Voter Helpline (1950) are available.
- Field Processes: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conduct door-to-door visits for physical verification, identifying eligible voters, correcting discrepancies, and removing duplicate or deceased entries.
- ECINET: The ECI has also developed ECINET, a unified digital platform that integrates over 40 election-related applications into a secure ecosystem, launched at the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM).
Despite these existing mechanisms, Sabeer Bhatia believes a comprehensive shift to an AI-assisted mobile voting application could offer a more robust and future-proof solution to voter identification and overall election integrity.