Impossible to tamper with EVMs at any stage: EC in SC.

Syllabus: GS-II; Subject: Polity Topic: Elections and RPA, Issue: EVM’s Tampering.

Context: The Supreme Court hearing petitions demanding 100% verifications of VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) slips with EVMs(Electronic Voting Machine).

Justification:

  • Supreme Court addresses transparency pleas, including cross-verification of EVM votes with VVPAT slips.
  • Manual counting of VVPAT slips deemed cumbersome due to time constraints.
  • Fall sensor in VVPATs prevents mismatches.
  • Increase in polling stations and registered voters noted from 2019 to 2024.
  • Units sealed post-elections in the presence of candidates or agents for 45 days.

Prelims Connect(Terminology in news)  

  • EVM (Electronic Voting Machine):
    • Purpose: Used for electronic vote capture and counting in elections.
    • Components: Consists of a Ballot Unit for voting and a Control Unit for storing and displaying results.
    • Advantages: Faster, more accurate, and reduce electoral fraud compared to paper ballots.
  • VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail):
    • Function: Independent verification system attached to EVMs.
    • Process: Prints a paper slip displaying the voter’s choice, visible for 7 seconds before being sealed for future verification.
    • Transparency: Enhances trust by providing a physical audit trail for voters to verify their votes.
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