A political storm in West Bengal recently brought renewed attention to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) after allegations of tampering triggered high drama outside a strongroom in Bhabanipur. While political leaders clashed over claims and counterclaims, the Election Commission maintained that the entire EVM storage process is tightly secured and closely monitored. This raises an important question: what actually happens to EVMs after voting ends and before counting begins?
The Strongroom System and Why It Exists
Once voting concludes, EVMs are not immediately opened or accessed again. Instead, they are shifted into a highly secure system known as a strongroom, where all machines used in an election are stored until counting day. These rooms are designed to act as a sealed buffer between polling and result declaration, ensuring the voting process remains untouched during this period.
In West Bengal, strongrooms have often become politically sensitive zones, especially during closely contested elections, as parties keep a continuous watch over the stored machines.
What Happens Immediately After Voting Ends
After polling closes, each EVM—comprising the ballot unit, control unit, and VVPAT—is switched off and sealed at the polling station itself. These seals are physically signed by election officials and representatives of political parties. The purpose of this step is to ensure that any attempt to open or tamper with the machines later would leave visible evidence.
Transportation Under Security
Once sealed, the machines are transported to designated storage centres under heavy security arrangements. Convoys are often escorted by armed personnel, and in many cases, political party agents are allowed to follow or monitor the movement. Some systems also include GPS tracking to ensure transparency during transit.
Storage in Strongrooms
At the storage site, EVMs are placed inside strongrooms under strict Election Commission supervision. These rooms are protected with multiple layers of security, including CCTV surveillance, armed guards, and restricted entry points. The idea is to ensure that no unauthorized access occurs between polling and counting.
Candidates and their representatives are typically allowed to stay near or monitor these facilities continuously, creating a system of mutual surveillance between competing political parties.
Monitoring and Accountability
Every movement inside or around the strongroom is logged, and any access requires proper authorization and documentation. Even in rare cases where a strongroom needs to be opened for administrative reasons, it must be done in the presence of officials and observers, ensuring full transparency.
On counting day, seals are carefully checked in front of candidates or their agents before the machines are opened, ensuring that the chain of custody remains intact throughout.
Are EVMs Tamper-Proof?
The Election Commission of India maintains that EVMs are standalone machines not connected to any network, making remote hacking impossible. It also argues that votes are stored in secure memory and cannot be altered once recorded.
However, critics argue that physical handling—especially during transport and storage—is the most vulnerable stage, even though multiple safeguards exist. Courts, including the Supreme Court of India, have upheld the use of EVMs while recommending additional verification through VVPAT checks.
New Security Enhancements
To further strengthen election security, the Election Commission has introduced a QR-based identity verification system for counting centres. This system is designed to ensure only authorized personnel—such as officials, candidates, and media representatives—can enter designated areas after multi-level checks.
The strongroom system is built on layers of physical security, procedural checks, and political oversight, designed to maintain trust in the electoral process. While political controversies like those seen in West Bengal continue to spark debate, the official framework remains focused on transparency, monitoring, and controlled access until the final vote count begins.