SC rejects pleas to fully cross-verify EVM votes with VVPAT slips

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed petitions seeking 100 per cent cross-verification of votes cast on electronic voting machines (EVMs) with the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPAT) and said ‘no’ to a return to the earlier ballot paper system.

Justice Sanjiv Khanna, speaking for himself and justice Dipankar Datta, said the court had elaborately discussed the protocols and technical aspects of the issue and so dismissed the plea for entire verification of EVM votes with VVPAT slips.

But the court urged the Election Commission to see if electronic machines can be used to count the paper slips and whether there can be a bar code along with the election symbols.

SC directions

The apex court, however, told the poll panel to seal and secure in a container the symbol loading units (SLU) after the completion of symbol loading process in VVPATs undertaken on or after May 1 this year.

The sealed container would be kept in strong room along with EVMs for at least 45 days the election results are announced.

The court also said that the burnt memory semi-controller in five per cent of the EVMs in each Assembly segments of the Lok Sabha constituency shall be checked and verified by engineers from the EVM manufacturers.

Opposition demand

Justice Datta said that blindly distrusting any aspect of the system can lead to unwarranted scepticism and impede progress.

The VVPAT machine is attached to the ballot unit of the EVM and provides visual verification for a voter’s vote by printing a slip of paper with the voter’s choice on it.

This is later used to verify votes cast in five randomly selected polling booths in each Assembly segment. Opposition parties want all VVPAT slips must be cross-checked with the EVM votes.