New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday announced a major redesign of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) ballot paper to improve readability and ease of use for voters.
The upgraded format will debut in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections before being extended to other states.
Key Features of the New Ballot Paper
For the first time, colour photographs of candidates will be included on the ballot paper.
Candidate names and NOTA will be printed in a uniform font style, size (30), and bold typeface for better clarity. Serial numbers will follow the international form of Indian numerals.
Standardised Printing Specifications
The EVM ballot papers will be printed on 70 GSM paper. For assembly elections, a distinct pink-coloured paper with defined RGB values will be used to help voters and polling officials quickly identify them.
Improving Voter Experience
Officials said the initiative is part of the ECI’s 28 electoral reforms in the past six months, aimed at making the voting process more transparent and user-friendly.
The new format is expected to reduce confusion for elderly and less literate voters, ensuring smoother polling.
Bihar to be First Test Case
The redesigned ballot papers will be first implemented in Bihar, ahead of its crucial assembly elections, and later introduced across other states.