Achi news desk-
GUWAHATI: The Supreme Court on Friday, April 26, 2024 dismissed the pleas seeking 100% cross-verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) data with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) records. The bench comprising Justices Sanjeev Khanna and Dipankar Datta issued the verdict, rejecting the calls for return to ballot voting, full EVM-VVPAT verification and provision of VVPAT slips to voters.
In its ruling, the court gave two specific instructions. The first requires that following the symbol loading process in the VVPAT, the symbol loading unit (SLU) should be sealed and secured in containers. These sealed containers, signed by candidates or their representatives, must be stored in strong rooms along with EVMs for at least 45 days after the declaration of election results.
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The other direction allows the candidates placed second or third behind the candidate with the highest polls to seek verification after results of the half-burnt controller in 5% of the EVMs per assembly segment. A team of engineers from the EVM manufacturers will participate in this process. The District Election Officer will then consult with the engineers to confirm the authenticity of the burnt memory microcontroller. This verification request must be made within seven days of the election results.
Regarding the costs involved, the court noted that the candidate who submits the verification request will bear the costs, unless it is found that the EVM devices were tampered with, in which case the costs will be refunded. The court also suggested that the election commission consider implementing an electronic vote counting machine for paper ballots and a barcode for each party alongside the symbols.
During the hearing, Justice Datta noted that unwarranted skepticism can result from a blind distrust of the system and that a critical but constructive approach guided by evidence and logic is necessary to ensure credibility. Justice Khanna reiterated that the current EVM system had established protocols and that the earlier fears of tampering were largely unfounded.
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The Election Commission of India opposed the pleas, arguing that full EVM-VVPAT verification would take time and is prone to human error. The Supreme Court agreed and noted that the current procedure is sufficient to ensure the integrity of the elections.
The case, filed by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms and Others, coincided with the ongoing 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The petitioners sought measures to ensure that votes are recorded and counted accurately, but the Supreme Court decision upheld the existing EVM system with limited post-result verification .
