With the Congress on Wednesday (October 28) winning just one of the 28 Member of Legislative Council (MLC) seats that went to the polls across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at the party. This is because MLC elections are held on ballot papers rather than through electronic voting machines (EVMs), which the Congress has in the past blamed for losses. MLCs are elected in a handful of states in India that have a second legislative House.

Since the PM’s remarks have brought the spotlight back to the EVMs-vs-ballot-papers debate, it’s instructive to see which sets of elections in India are conducted with ballot papers.

Which elections in India use ballot papers?

Most elections to Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, and Zilla Parishads are held through ballot papers.…