 "election voting evm machine")
The Supreme Court, on Friday (April 26), is set to issue directives regarding petitions advocating for a 100 per cent verification of votes registered in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) alongside the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.
The petitions are scheduled for discussion in the Supreme Court under the category of "For Directions", according to the causelist. A Bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta had reserved its judgement after they received answers from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to technical queries it had asked for earlier in the day.
The top Court said, "We don't control the elections, the poll body has cleared doubts".
The top Court said, "We don't control the elections, the poll body has cleared doubts".
"We cannot control the elections, we cannot control the functioning of another constitutional authority," the Supreme Court said. "The ECI has cleared doubts. We cannot change your thought process. We cannot issue a mandamus on the basis of suspicion," it added
Earlier in the day, the top Court raised several "technical questions" and directed the Election Commission to respond to queries concerning the cross-verification of votes cast in electronic voting machines (EVMs) with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) by 2 pm.
What did the election commission tell the SC?
In response to SC's inquiry about the placement of the microcontroller in EVMs, the Election Commission stated that each unit - ballot unit, VVPAT, and chip - has its own microcontroller securely housed within an unauthorized access detection module, preventing external access.
Regarding the query about the microcontroller's programmability, the Election Commission affirmed that all microcontrollers are one-time programmable, explaining that they are permanently programmed upon insertion and cannot be altered thereafter.
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When asked about the number of symbol loading units, the Election Commission disclosed that there are two manufacturers responsible for symbol loading: Electronic Corporation Of India and Bharat Electronics.
To clarify the time frame for filing election petitions, the EC clarified that all machines are stored in strong rooms for 45 days. If a petition is filed, the room remains locked and sealed; if not, it is opened.
In response to the last question regarding the sealing of units, the Commission clarified that the control unit is sealed due to its storage of polling data. Additionally, during commissioning, all three units are sealed with a pink seal, and the VVPAT is also sealed with signatures collected from all polling agents.
What is the EVM-VVPAT verification case?
One of the petitioners, the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), has requested a reversal of the Election Commission's 2017 decision to replace the transparent glass on VVPAT machines with an opaque one, allowing voters to view the slip only when the light is on for seven seconds.
The ADR also advocates matching the count in EVMs with votes recorded as cast and ensuring that voters can verify through the VVPAT slip that their vote has been accurately tallied.
During the extensive hearing last week, the Supreme Court cautioned petitioners who called for a return to ballot papers not to doubt the effectiveness of EVMs and to acknowledge the election commission's efforts.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna remarked, "We are in our 60s. We all know what happened when there were ballot papers, you may have, but we have not forgotten."
The Bench extensively engaged with senior deputy election commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas for nearly an hour to comprehend the functioning of EVMs and emphasised to advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO, that voter satisfaction and trust are vital in the electoral process.
Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the Election Commission of India, argued that EVMs are standalone machines and are not susceptible to tampering, although the possibility of human error cannot be dismissed.
On April 16, the Supreme Court criticised the criticism of EVMs and calls for a return to ballot papers, stressing that the electoral process in India is a monumental task and efforts should not be made to undermine the system.
What are VVPAT slips?
VVPAT slips are an integral part of the EVMs used in elections. It provides a physical paper trail for voters to verify that their vote has been correctly recorded by the EVM. It ensures transparency and accountability in the electoral process by allowing voters to verify their vote before casting it finally.
The VVPAT produces a paper slip that permits the voter to confirm the accuracy of their vote on the EVM. This slip displays the name and symbol of the party chosen by the voter.
Additionally, the machine features a transparent window through which the voter can observe the printed slip. Subsequently, the slip is securely deposited into a sealed compartment within the machine. However, in the event of a dispute, this sealed box can be opened for further examination.
What are EVMs, and how do they work?
Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are used to record and tally votes during elections. They consist of two units - a control unit and a balloting unit. The balloting unit displays the names and symbols of candidates. When a voter enters the voting compartment, they press the button corresponding to their chosen candidate. This registers their vote electronically within the machine's memory.
After polling, the EVMs are sealed and transported to a counting centre. On the counting day, the votes recorded in each EVM's memory are tallied by connecting the control unit to a computer. EVMs have security measures like tamper detection, unique IDs, and strict handling protocols to prevent tampering or rigging. The use of EVMs aims to ensure faster and more accurate vote counting while reducing the possibility of human errors or manipulation.
