VVPAT

VVPAT

During this General elections, one item which has been in constant news is VVPAT. What is this VVPAT (Voters Verified Paper Audit Trail). A VVPAT is intended as an independent system for Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) 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.

Doubting the working of EVMs and the fear they might be hacked, the opposition parties  have always being saying that ruling parties generally hacked the EVMs but when their party wins that time they never doubt the credibility  of EVMs. The classic example was when SP/BSP/ Congress lost UP assembly elections that time EVMs were malfunctioning, but when Congress won  in Punjab or Karnataka that time EVMs are proper. Before every elections Election Commissioner calls the representative of all the political parties for demonstration of EVMs, but that time every one is satisfied , but when the time of the election results  come ,the hacking of EVM thing starts.

Last so many elections have been held using EVMs, but there was not such big halla gulla on EVMs, but after BJP/NDA came to power at centre and subsequently won  more states, this has started. What does it means that,  it only raises a doubt that when Cong was winning elections with huge margins then that time they were hacking the machines in their favour, and now they are afraid that BJP will do the same. Then my questions is if EVMs can be hacked then why Congress lost in 2014, EVM system is still the same.

So on this issue, first opposition parties approached EC and then SC, that voting should be held with paper ballot, like the olden days, and then paper ballots should be counted for the results. There was big discussion on this in media and other forums but both EC and SC  did not agree to go back on paper voting system and they fully backed the EVMs.

But these opposition leaders  approached EC saying that with every EVM, there should be paper trail (VVPAT) and EVMs result should match with paper trail. Election Commissioner again challenged them to prove  whether EVMs can be hacked, but these opposition parties could not prove the same. EC said that as per the procedure in every assembly segment one VVPAT result will be tallied with EVMs result, but this did not satisfy these leaders.

These leaders of 21 opposition parties then  approached the SC on this matter with the plea that VVPAT should be increased to 33 to 50 % of EVM in every assembly segments. The SC bench headed by Chief Justice of India, on 8^th Apr 2019 ordered the Election Commission to increase the VVPAT slips from one EVM per assembly constituency to 5 EVMs. SC remarked that increase in VVPAT would be of greater satisfaction not only of political parties but also for the entire electorate. SC further made the observations that “ This court would like to observe that neither the satisfaction of the EC which is constitutional body, nor the system of EVM is being doubted.”

As per this order of SC, votes cast in about 20,625 EVMs across the country will be verified through VVPAT.

A last ditch attempt was made by these 21 opposition parties and they filed a review petition in SC during the elections, for enhancing the number VVPAT. This  effort also failed  when yesterday (7^th May 2019) SC dismissed their plea and retaining its earlier order of slip counts of 5 EVMs per assembly segments.

The gang of opposition party leaders , after the SC order then again  approached the Election Commission that 50% of EVMs’ auto check of VVPAT should be implemented. What they are saying that the SC has not said that the EC can not increase the auto check of VVPAT from the present 5 EVMs per assembly segment.

Further they have requested EC to frame new rules to deal with counting of votes in constituencies, where VVPAT do not tally with EVM figures. In the case where discrepancies are less  than 5% after VVPAT/EVM. In such cases VVPAT slips should be matched with entire constituency.

So, friends, let us wait and watch and see in how many assembly constituency there is counting of slips. OR how many VVPAT from 20,625 EVMs goes for slip counting.

Awaiting your feed backs/comments/views.

Anil Malik

Mumbai, India

8^th Mar 2019