EVMs in DUSU different from those used in elections: ECI

The Election Commission of India (ECI) today defended the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) after alleged malfunctions in Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) elections, saying the machines used in varsity polls were completely different from the one used in elections.

Stating that it is confident about the integrity, non-tamperability, and credibility of EVMs, the Commission clarified that it is not responsible for the conduct of local body elections (Municipalities, Panchayats etc.) that are conducted by the State Election Commissions and elections held by various organizations/institutions in the country.

"Commission uses only single post-EVMs (i.e. vote can be cast only for one post). In the elections at DUSU it is told that multi-post EVMs (i.e. vote can be cast for more than one post, for instance, President/Vice-President/General Secretary), which are technically completely different from ECI's single post EVMs, have been used," the ECI said in a statement.

The poll body, in the statement, also enclosed a letter dated August 18, 2006 in which it allowed the varsity to procure EVM given that should be 'perceptibly distinct'.

"The Connector of Ballot Unit and Control Unit should be in such a way that it can never be used in any of the EVM supplied by the manufacturers to ECI and SECs. No EVMs should be supplied to other organizations without prior permission of the Commission," the letter added.

The Commission further noted that at no point of time, the supply of EVM to ECI and State Election Commissions should be hampered for the production of EVMs to other organisations.