The Supreme Court has sought clarifications from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during a hearing of a batch of petitions seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta questioned an ECI official about various aspects of EVM operation, including the reprogrammability of microcontrollers installed in them, the placement of microcontrollers within the EVM system, and the possibility of reprogramming the flash memory of EVM microcontrollers. The ECI official responded that microcontrollers are present in all three EVM units (ballot unit, VVPAT, and control unit) and are housed within a secured access detection module, making them inaccessible. Additionally, the official stated that all microcontrollers are one-time programmable and cannot be altered once inserted into the EVM. The Supreme Court indicated its willingness to consider directions for strengthening the EVM system, acknowledging that a return to ballot paper is not feasible. The court’s decision follows concerns raised over the accuracy and reliability of EVMs. Currently, VVPAT slips from only a limited number of EVMs are verified in each Assembly segment, but petitioners are seeking more comprehensive verification to enhance voter confidence in the electoral process.
Supreme Court Seeks Clarity on EVM Functioning, Considers Strengthening EVM System
