The Supreme Court of India (SC) has fixed the next hearing date for the EVM-VVPAT petition on April 16. The case entails that all EVM votes cast during the Lok Sabha (LS polls) be cross checked using VVPAT slips. The matter had been put before the SC in 2019 where 21 opposition parties had filed a petition demanding that 50% of the EVM votes of every Lok Sabha constituency should be matched with the VVPAT slips. SC had said that if the plea was to be accepted, then it would delay the election result by at least 5 days.
But once again, before the 2024 elections, a petition has been raised to count 100% EVM votes using VVPAT slips. In March 2023, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) had filed a petition demanding 100% matching of EVM votes and VVPAT slips.
ADR has said in its petition that for free and fair elections, EVM votes and VVPAT slips should be cross-verified. ADR has suggested that to speed up this process, barcode can be used on VVPAT.
After the 2019 hearing, the Supreme Court gave its verdict saying that it had ordered to tally the votes cast in 5 EVMs and VVPATs of each Lok Sabha. Before this decision of the Supreme Court, the Election Commission used to match the votes recorded in an EVM with the VVPAT slips.
Later, 21 opposition parties also filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, which was rejected. The Supreme Court had made it clear that it does not want to change its old decision.
What is VVPAT?
Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) was introduced as a means of verification in the voting process so that the voters are assured that their vote was cast to right candidate. This machine remains connected to the EVM. As soon as the voter casts his vote, a slip is issued. This slip contains the name and election symbol of the candidate for whom he has voted.
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) had designed VVPAT imachines in 2013. Both of these are the same government companies, which also manufacture EVMs i.e. Electronic Voting Machines.
VVPAT machines were first used during the 2013 Nagaland Assembly elections. After that it was also installed on some seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Later they were also used in the 2017 Goa Assembly elections.
VVPAT machines were used across the country for the first time in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. More than 17.3 lakh VVPAT machines were used in that election. This slip appears on the VVPAT screen for 7 seconds. After 7 seconds this slip falls in the drop box of VVPAT.
As per reports, the Supreme Court bench of Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Dipankar Dutta will be hearing this plea. The next date of hearing on this case has been fixed for April 16.