Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has joined Elon Musk in expressing concerns over the security of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in India, calling them a ‘black box’ and raising questions about transparency in the electoral process. Gandhi’s statement came in response to Musk’s tweet advocating for the elimination of EVMs due to potential hacking risks. The controversy has sparked debate on the reliability of EVMs and the need for greater transparency in Indian elections.
The Supreme Court upheld the electronic voting machine (EVM) system of polling and dismissed a plea to revive paper ballots, highlighting the need for trust in institutions. The Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), introduced in 2014, provides a paper trail to confirm the accuracy of electronic votes. Experts discuss the technical nuances of the VVPAT system and its role in the upcoming 2024 general elections.
A video showing a man throwing ink at an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and being apprehended by police has resurfaced online. However, this incident is not recent and is unrelated to the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. The event actually occurred during the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, involving a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader named Sunil Khambe.
The voting process encompasses several key steps to ensure the integrity of the election:
1. **NOTA Button:** If a voter disapproves of all candidates or the election system, they can press the NOTA (None of the Above) button.
2. **ID Verification:** The First Polling Officer verifies the voter’s identity by checking their ID against the electoral roll.
3. **Indelible Ink Marking:** The Second Polling Officer marks the voter’s left forefinger with indelible ink to prevent multiple voting.
4. **Ballot Unit Activation:** The Third Polling Officer activates the ballot unit after receiving the voter’s slip.
5. **Candidate Selection:** The voter presses the blue button on the EVM corresponding to their preferred candidate.
6. **Vote Verification:** The VVPAT (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail) device displays a paper trail of the vote to ensure its accuracy.
**Additional Information:**
– Voters are advised to carry their voter slip for easy identification.
– The polling time is from 7 am to 6 pm.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified before the Supreme Court that all three units of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) – ballot unit, control unit, and VVPAT – have their own microcontrollers which are sealed after the polling is over. This clarification was provided in response to a batch of petitions seeking 100% verification of EVM votes with their Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips. The ECI also confirmed that the microcontrollers used in the poll process are “one-time programmable” and cannot be changed later. The top court had earlier ordered the ECI to increase the VVPAT slips from one EVM per Assembly constituency to five and issued guidelines for mandatory verification of VVPAT slips from randomly selected polling stations after completing the final round of counting votes recorded in EVMs.
The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). The court sought clarification from the Election Commission on the functioning of EVMs and VVPATs.
The Supreme Court is set to issue directives on pleas seeking complete cross-checking of electronic voting machine (EVM) counts with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) paper slips. The Election Commission of India (ECI) maintains that EVMs are tamper-proof and has conducted extensive random verifications. The court has previously expressed skepticism about claims of suspicion but remains open to reviewing EVM performance.
The Supreme Court is set to announce its verdict on a batch of petitions requesting that Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips be verified with votes cast electronically through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during elections. The case highlights concerns regarding the integrity of EVMs and the need for transparency in the electoral process.
