An electronic voting machine, or EVM, is a machine that records votes electronically, using computers rather than paper ballots. Electronic systems can be used not only to record votes but also to register voters beforehand and to tally the results of an election after the votes are in.
There are many types of electronic voting technologies. Some systems use punched cards or optical scan technologies to electronically read and tally paper ballots. Machines can also transmit votes electronically, using either the Internet or private computer networks. One common type of voting machine is a direct-recording electronic voting machine. These consist of machines that voters use to cast their ballots along with a control unit where votes are recorded.
Electronic voting technology has many advantages. Electronic voter registration rolls allow for easier access to registration databases. Additionally, EVMs can count votes much faster than humans can manage manually, meaning that election results are available sooner. EVMs also allow for accessibility features that cannot be added to a paper ballot, such as screen readers.
However, there are also many challenges that must be overcome to keep elections that use electronic voting running smoothly. In order to hold an election with trustworthy results, votes must be kept private and secure, and EVMs need to be kept up-to-date and usable.