EVM-VVPAT

Why in the News?

In Association for Democratic Reforms vs Election Commission of India And Another (2024) the Supreme Court dismissed requests for full cross-verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) data with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) records.

More on News 

• In 2023, the ADR filed a petition in the Supreme Court about the possibility of manipulating the EVMs and made three requests to the court. 
  • return to the paper ballot system; or
  • the printed slip from the VVPAT machine be given to the voter to verify, and put in the ballot box, for counting; and/or
  • There should be 100% counting of the VVPAT slips in addition to electronic counting by the control unit. 

Key highlights of the Judgment

• Verification of VVPAT: Court acknowledged the fundamental right of voters to ensure their vote is accurately recordedand counted. However, it clarified that this does not equate to the right to count all VVPAT slips or to physically access these slips.
• Return to paper ballot: Court also refused to return to paper ballot referring to the checks and protocols to ensure and ascertain the legitimacy and integrity of the EVMs and the election process.
• Direction to enhance public confidence in the EVM-VVPAT: The Court issued following two directions: 
  • Strengthening of Symbol Loading Unit (SLU) protocol: On completion of the symbol loading process in the VVPAT, the SLU shall be sealed and secured in containers which shall be signed by the candidates or their representatives. 
    • The sealed containers shall be kept in the strong rooms along with the EVMs at least for a period of 45 days post the declaration of results.
  • Verification of burnt memory: Verification of the burnt memory semi-controller of 5% of EVMs per assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency.
    • It applies to cases where a written request for the same is made by either of two runners up candidates, within a period of 7 days post the announcement result.

About EVM-VVPAT

• Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) is a portable microcontroller-based instrument designed to modernize the Election process.
  • It is manufactured and supplied to the ECI by Bharat Electronics Limited (under the Ministry of Defense) and Electronic Corporation of India Limited (under the Department of Atomic Energy).
• It consists of 3-units the
  • Ballot unit: Functions like a keyboard with 16 buttons/key.
  • Control unit: Also called as the master unit, remains with the polling/presiding officer
  • VVPAT: Allows the voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended.
    • When a vote is cast, a slip is printed containing the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate
    • This slip is visible through a transparent window for 7 seconds before it automatically cuts and drops into a sealed box.
    • It was introduced to have the fullest transparency in the voting system and to restore the confidence of the voters by ensuring the accuracy of the voting system using EVMs.

Advantages of the EVM-VVPAT 

• It runs on battery and does not require any external power supply. 
• Negating a scenario of an invalid vote akin to an invalid paper ballot. 
• It does not permit more than 4 votes per minute, thereby deterring booth capturing. 
• After pressing the ‘CLOSE’ button on the control unit, there is no possibility of voting. 
• By pressing the ‘TOTAL’ button on the control unit at any time, the total number of votes polled up to the time of pressing the button is displayed, without indicating the candidate-wise result of votes. 
• It is not possible to pre-program the EVM in a spurious manner. 

Conclusion

There is a need to nurture a culture of trust and collaboration among the citizens, the elected representatives, and the electoral machinery to strengthen the foundations of our democracy and ensure that the voices and choices of all citizens are valued and respected.