The Election Commission has strongly defended the credibility of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the Supreme Court. This defense contributed to a decision in favor of the current electoral process. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar expressed confidence in the EVMs’ security, citing their validation by constitutional courts 40 times. He presented a book with frequently answered questions and flowcharts on EVMs and highlighted the fact that political parties have emerged due to their transparency.
CEC’s Defense of EVMs
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar affirmed, “EVMs are 100% safe, 100% sure.” He cited the 40 cases on EVMs that have been rejected by high courts and the Supreme Court. He also pointed out that EVMs have facilitated the emergence of political parties, which may not have happened in the era of ballots due to the increased fairness and transparency.
Supreme Court’s Decision
A Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta rejected petitions seeking 100% cross-verification of votes cast on EVMs through Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. The current method provides for cross-verification being done for five randomly selected EVMs in every Assembly constituency. The bench emphasized the need for a balanced perspective and meaningful criticism, while recognizing the importance of harmony and trust among democratic institutions.
