Aashin C Anil, a 19-year-old BTech Computer Science student from Pravachambalam, Thiruvananthapuram, is preparing to cast his first-ever vote in the forthcoming local body elections. In this election, he will also be part of a historic event: the State Election Commission (SEC) is set to launch a tracking system for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the first time. The software that runs this system was developed by Aashin and his closest friend, fellow engineering student Jeswin Sunsi from Kodakara, Thrissur.
The students developed EVM Tracker— a system designed to replace the old pen-and-paper method of monitoring EVMs. This innovation is expected to significantly increase transparency amid persistent allegations of fraud and security breaches that have plagued the use of EVMs in elections.
"The idea was put forward by the SEC two years ago but got stuck until I came across Aashin and Jeswin, both students at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology," said L Suryanarayanan, an EVM consultant and trainer. "Both boys had demonstrated their skill in hackathons and other projects."
Aashin said that they immediately agreed to take on the project. What followed were months of sleepless nights, driven purely by passion. Jeswin recalled how Suryanarayanan spent hours meticulously explaining every detail so they could fully grasp what they were building. "We hadn’t even cast our first vote. I didn’t know what a ballot paper or control unit was. He taught us everything," added Aashin.
According to Suryanarayanan, one of the biggest task was establishing a common database for the EVMs. "It is difficult to find minute details, such as the date of manufacture. During the first-level checking, we scanned the barcodes and built the primary database. Machines are only deployed after this level," he explained. He added that because Kerala operates a three-tier election system, the duo had to develop separate code lines and then integrate them.
The EVM Track system now enables the SEC to monitor machines from the moment they arrive from Hyderabad. "An EVM’s movement through a district or a panchayat can be tracked instantly. Tasks that previously required pen-and-paper can now be done in two clicks," Aashin said.
The software initially focused on basic functionalities like allotment and movement tracking before evolving into a comprehensive system that includes poll-day monitoring. "We can now identify which machine stopped working, what it is replaced with, and what stock is readily available," Suryanarayanan noted.
The SEC first approved a prototype, or Minimum Viable Product (MVP), presented by the students. This was followed by numerous meetings, trial runs, three security audits, and multiple performance and quality checks. The STQC (Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification) directorate conducted the final security audit.
Access to the software is role-based. "A returning officer can only access what is necessary for their job. Once their duty ends, the password is reset," said Suryanarayanan.
The project took approximately six months to complete, involving many overnight working sessions. "We even spent our summer holiday working on the software. It was hectic, but we loved each and every moment of it," Aashin said. Jeswin added, "SRM encourages students to work on government and startup projects. The college gives us time to pursue our interests."
Jeswin, who grew up in Oman, said he has been surrounded by technology since childhood. "My father, Sunsi, is in the smartphone retail business. I’ve been learning coding since Class 6," he stated. "It has truly been an honour to work on this project. It’s the result of months of hard graft."
Aashin, who studied Biology in Class 12, said his interest in technology began during the COVID-19 lockdown. "I started learning on my own and chose BTech Computer Science. I met Jeswin here, and we became best friends. We plan to launch a startup after university."
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