Which of the following is the standard means by which elections are conducted in India?

Electronic Voting Machine

The correct answer is Option 4- Electronic Voting Machine

The standard means by which elections are conducted in India is the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).

EVMs were first introduced in India in 1998 and have been used in all general elections and most state assembly elections since then. EVMs are considered to be more reliable and secure than traditional paper ballots, and they have helped to reduce electoral fraud.

To vote using an EVM, voters simply press a button next to the name of the candidate they wish to vote for. The EVM then records the vote electronically. At the end of the polling day, the votes are counted by the EVM and the results are displayed on a screen.

In addition to EVMs, India also uses a paper trail system called VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail). VVPAT printers are attached to EVMs and they generate a paper slip for each vote cast. The paper slip displays the name of the candidate voted for and the serial number of the EVM. Voters can verify that their vote has been recorded correctly by checking the paper slip.

Blockchain technology is still in its early stages of development and is not yet widely used for conducting elections. Email is not a secure way to vote, as it is vulnerable to hacking and other forms of fraud. Ballot papers are still used in some parts of India, but they are gradually being replaced by EVMs.