What can be the purpose of restricting mobile use or photography at a polling booth?

To maintain secrecy of voting

Direct answer: A is correct. Voting is generally secret so that no one can force, reward, threaten, or punish a person based on the person’s choice. A mobile phone or camera could record the marked ballot or screen and reveal how someone voted. Restricting photography therefore helps protect secrecy and reduce the possibility of pressure or vote-buying. Option A is correct because it protects the privacy of the electoral choice. Option B is wrong because mobile restrictions do not directly make counting faster. Option C is wrong because a phone rule does not alter the weight of an EVM. Option D is wrong because it does not remove a candidate’s name from the machine or ballot. Memory cue: no photograph means no proof of the voter’s choice, which supports secret voting.

This is a Class 9 Civics question. Chapter: Electoral Politics. Topic: Polling and counting of votes.