During a hearing on petitions requesting 100 percent verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) against Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) records, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to elucidate the functioning of the EVM-VVPAT system. The court emphasized the importance of maintaining sanctity in the electoral process.

Representing one of the petitioners, Advocate Nizam Pasha proposed allowing voters to retain their VVPAT slip after casting their vote and depositing it in a ballot box. Responding to concerns regarding voter privacy, the court questioned whether such a process would compromise privacy rights.

The Election Commission explained that before placement in the strong room, 100 percent of the machines undergo mock polling in the presence of representatives from all political parties to ensure their accuracy.

Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde advocated for a separate audit to enhance the credibility of the counting process. Responding to this, Advocate Prashant Bhushan cited a report from Kerala where discrepancies were observed in mock poll results.

The hearing comes ahead of the first phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, scheduled for Friday. The VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail) system provides voters with feedback, allowing them to verify that their vote was cast correctly and detect possible election fraud or malfunction.

VVPATs serve as a second line of verification, particularly useful in addressing allegations of EVM tampering. However, access to the machines is restricted to polling officials, ensuring the integrity of the voting process.

By : Kruthiga V S

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