The Supreme Court has affirmed its support for the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in India’s elections, while emphasizing the importance of maintaining the integrity of the electoral process. On April 26, the Court rejected a plea to revert to paper ballots and upheld the validity of the EVM system. The Court also declined a request for mandatory cross-verification of all votes cast on EVMs with the accompanying Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) paper slips. Instead, the Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take steps to strengthen the existing system, including increased random verification of EVM-VVPAT counts from the current 5% to a higher percentage. Additionally, the Court instructed the ECI to explore the feasibility of introducing remote voting for Indian citizens living abroad and to provide better training and accountability for election officials. The Court’s decision and directives aim to balance the need for efficient and secure voting systems with the concerns raised about the potential for manipulation or errors in the EVM system.
Supreme Court Upholds EVM Polling System, Issues Guidelines to Strengthen Security
