Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines
Context:
- Recently congress leader wrote to Chief Election Commissioner requesting that a team of INDIA group leaders want to meet him and his colleagues to put forward their point of view on VVPATs.
- They wanted to discuss and provide suggestions on the use of VVPATs based on a resolution passed at a meeting of leaders of the bloc the previous day.
- The resolution of the members called for 100% verification of VVPAT slips.
What is VVPAT?
- VVPAT is a machine which is used in elections to verify that the citizen’s vote has been placed correctly.
- VVPAT means Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail.
- The VVPAT machine gives instant confirmation to the voter through a printed slip.
- The process is such that after a voter presses the button confirming their vote for their chosen candidate or NOTA then the VVPAT machine prints a slip containing the name of the candidate and the corresponding election symbol.
- The printed slip is then displayed to the voter for nearly seven seconds.
- Then it is dropped in the storage box and a beep sound confirms this action.
- The VVPAT can only be accessed by the polling officials but not by the voters.
- In order to allow for a printer with a drop box to be attached to the EVM, the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 were amended in 2013 .
- The VVPAT was used for the first time in all 21 polling stations of the Noksen Assembly constituency of Nagaland in the year 2013 after which the Election Commission decided to introduce VVPATs in a phased manner in the country.
- From 2017 June, 100% of VVPATs used in polls, and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections became the first general election to have 100% of EVMs being attached to VVPAT machines.
Why does the INDIA alliance want 100% counting of VVPAT slips?
- In its resolution passed on December 21, the INDIA alliance stated that Instead of the VVPAT slip falling in the box, it should be handed over to the voter who will then place it in a separate ballot box after having verified his or her choice.
- Through this 100% counting of VVPAT slips should then be done.
- %They said that this will restore full confidence of the people in free and fair elections.