News Highlights:
- The Election Commission of India (ECI) has said that 3.4 lahks Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines require “preventive maintenance”.
- According to ECI documents, VVPAT machines are the latest M3 generation machines, of which 37% were “defective”.
Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT):
- About
- Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) or verified paper record (VPR) is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballotless voting system.
- A VVPAT is intended as an independent verification system for voting machines designed to allow voters to verify that their vote was cast correctly, to detect possible election fraud or malfunction, and to provide a means to audit the stored electronic results.
- It contains the name of the candidate (for whom the vote has been cast) and the symbol of the party/individual candidate.
- Significance:
- VVPAT is one of the most important devices introduced by the Election Commission of India in the field of Electoral Reforms.
- VVPT is useful for visually challenged voters, illiterate voters and senior citizens who can’t read or write to check that their votes are correctly cast on EVMs, and they don’t get any chance to question it later.
- Every registered voter is not allowed to touch the EVM unless a ballot has been cast for that voter.
- Benefits of VVPAT:
- VVPAT will benefit everyone because everyone has the right to know their vote.
- Further, it would help to reduce the chances of electoral fraud and rigging. It will also reduce stress on voters during voting, who need not be tensed over electoral fraud and rigging.
- The VVPAT system gives confidence to the electorate that every vote is counted, and it eliminates any chance of tampering with EVM votes. VVPAT ensures transparency as well as the accuracy of the voting system.
How does the VVPAT work?
- Overview:
- voting in India is done using the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), which is designed with two units: the control unit and the balloting unit.
- The balloting unit of the machine has a list of candidate names and party symbols with a blue button next to it. The voter can press the button next to the candidate’s name they wish to vote for.
- When the voter casts a vote on the EVM, a printer-like VVPAT apparatus linked to the EVM generates a slip showing the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate to whom the vote was made.
- With this slip, the voter can verify his casted vote.
- This VVPAT slip is displayed for 7 seconds before it’s automatically cut.
- The slip, once viewed, is cut and dropped into the drop box in the VVPAT machine, and a beep will be heard.
- The VVPAT machines can only be accessed by the election officers in the rarest of rare cases.
Measures to secure EVMs:
- Functional check:
- The machines are cleaned, and earlier results are cleared.
- Switches, buttons, cables and latches are inspected for damage.
- Random check:
- A mock poll is conducted on 5% of the total number of EVMs to be used for a poll.
- About 1,000 votes are polled, and the result printouts are shared with representatives of various political parties.
- Throwing the dice:
- EVMs are randomly placed in the constituencies and booths and it is difficult to know which machine is kept where.
- During the first, EVMs are allocated at random to a constituency.
- In the second round, they are randomised and allocated to a polling booth.
- A dry run:
- Before the start of the actual poll, a mock poll is conducted with at least 50 votes in the presence of candidates or their agents.
- The mock poll is then closed, and the results are displayed.
- On poll day, various checks are conducted by polling agents, observers and central paramilitary forces.
- Safe and secure:
- EVMs are placed in their carrying cases and sealed.
- The machines are transported back to the reception centres under armed escort and kept in the strong room.
Pic Courtesy: Freepik
Content Source: The Hindu