New Delhi first in capital to get EVM paper trail

The New Delhi constituency, which is witnessing a high-pitched electoral battle, Wednesday became the first in the capital to have a paper trail which enables voters to verify if their vote has been recorded correctly.

The Election Commission chose high-profile New Delhi constituency to introduce the "Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT)" for the assembly polls.

The constituency is witnessing a contest between Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijender Gupta.

In the VVPAT syatem, a printer unit is attached to the electronic voting machine (EVM) to allow a voter to verify details of his/her vote through a transparent window.

Once a voter casts vote by pressing a button on the EVM, a light glows. Under the VVPAT system, the printer kept next to the ballot unit flashes the serial number, name of the candidate and the symbol of party to confirm the voter's choice.

Officials said voters do not get a receipt as proof of their vote due to security reasons and the receipt gets deposited inside a container linked to the EVM after being viewed by the voter.

The VVPAT system was launched as a pilot project in New Delhi.

The Supreme Court in October directed the Election Commission to introduce voting machines with paper trails in the upcoming general elections in 2014, stating that it will improve confidence of voters in EVMs.

The New Delhi assembly constituency has around 1.20 lakh voters.

Officials said the paper trail was first used in a by-boll in Nagaland followed by some constituencies in Mizoram during assembly polls in the state last month.