SC hears plea for 100% EVM-VVPAT verification, challenges with human intervention
- In Reports
- 06:55 PM, Apr 16, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Supreme Court entertained petitions requesting full verification of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) against Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) records.
Following a two-hour deliberation, the bench, led by Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, scheduled further hearings for April 18. Significantly, this date coincides with the commencement of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, starting on April 19.
During the hearing, the bench informed Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the Association for Democratic Reforms, that the Court had previously addressed the matter in 2019. At that time, the Court had directed an increase in the count of Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) from one Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) to five EVMs per assembly segment in a constituency.
Bhushan responded by stating that the Court issued the order due to time constraints before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and emphasised that the issue remained open for adjudication.
Bhushan stated that while they aren't alleging manipulation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) or Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) has occurred, they argue that they are susceptible to manipulation. He suggested two options, a return to the paper ballot system or allowing voters to physically retain VVPAT slips and deposit them in a ballot box for counting.
Bhushan proposed that the glass covering the VVPAT slip be made transparent to allow for the counting of all VVPAT slips. Currently, he explained, the glass is opaque, and the voter can only view the slip for about 7 seconds when a light bulb illuminates it inside the machine. However, he noted, the voter cannot witness the slip being cut and deposited, raising concerns about transparency in the process.
Bhushan highlighted that European nations like Germany continue to use ballot papers, to which the bench noted the difference in population size, with Germany having around 5-6 crores compared to India's approximately 98 crore eligible voters.
Justice Khanna also referenced past instances of "booth capturing" in India. Bhushan asserted that counting all VVPAT slips concurrently, rather than sequentially, would not significantly extend the time required for the process.
Justice Khanna cautioned against excessive human intervention, highlighting the potential for errors and biases. He emphasised the reliability of machines in providing accurate results when free from unauthorised human interference.
Regarding hand counting, Justice Khanna expressed concerns about discrepancies in the final counts. The bench also noted the challenges posed by India's large population and stressed the importance of trust in the electoral system, as mentioned by Justice Datta, particularly in states like West Bengal.
Bhushan raised concerns about the potential manipulation of VVPATs if two consecutive votes are cast for the same party. He highlighted doubts about the reliability of EVMs due to undisclosed source code and alleged BJP affiliations among some directors of EVM-manufacturing PSUs. Currently, the ECI counts VVPATs from only 5 EVMs per assembly segment, amounting to less than 2% of total VVPATs.
Image source: Live Law
Comments