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The <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword> has received eight applications from aggrieved <keyword id="19902220" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="candidates" source="keywords">candidates</keyword>, including those from the <keyword id="19894848" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BJP" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="BJP">BJP</keyword> and the <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword>, for verification of tampering or modification in micro-controller chips embedded in the EVMs post declaration of Lok Sabha election results on June 4. Terming the suspicion of manipulation of the electronic voting machines "unfounded", the <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court" source="keywords">Supreme Court</keyword> had on April 26 rejected the demand for reverting to the old paper ballot system. But at the same time, the top court had opened a window for the aggrieved unsuccessful candidates securing second and third places in the poll results and allowed them to seek verification of micro-controller chips embedded in five per cent EVMs per assembly constituency on a written request upon the payment of a fee to the poll panel. BJP's Ahmednagar (Maharashtra) candidate Sujay Vikhe-Patil has sought verification of the machines from 40 <keyword id="20300567" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="polling-stations" source="keywords">polling stations</keyword>. Vikhe-Patil had lost to Nilesh Lanke of NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction. A YSRCP and a DMDK candidate too have applied for the verification, according to data shared by the poll panel. According to the EC, eight parliamentary seats spread across six states are involved. The total number of polling stations for which verification has been sought is 92. Candidates who come second or third and seek verification of the EVMs will have to pay Rs 47,200 per EVM set, according to the standard operating procedure issued by the EC on June 1. According to the EC's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the cost submitted by manufacturers BEL and ECIL to carry out EVM "check and verification" is Rs 40,000 (plus 18 per cent GST) per set of EVM. "In addition to the cost incurred by the manufacturers, there are also administrative costs like cost of labour to shift the units, CCTV coverage, electricity charges, videography costs and various other operational costs at the district election officer level," the document said. It, however, said to make the <keyword id="21143428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="verification-process" source="keywords">verification process</keyword> "more accessible" and inclusive in compliance to the referred mandate of the Supreme Court, it is decided that instead of going purely by the actual economic costs incurred, the administrative expenditure on <keyword id="22122362" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="EVM-verification" source="keywords">EVM verification</keyword> will be treated as "election expenditure and borne by the central or state government, as the case may be". "Accordingly, the administrative charges will be waived for the applicants -- the same shall not be charged to the applicants," it noted. The charges for EVM verification to be paid by the applicant candidate is for the current financial year 2024-25 -- till March 31, 2025, it said. An EVM set has at least one Ballot Unit, one Control Unit and a <keyword id="19975285" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vvpat" source="keywords">VVPAT</keyword> machine. Separately, YSRCP and BJD candidates from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha respectively have also applied for EVM check following the announcement of assembly results on June 4. Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh were held along with the Lok Sabha elections. In the verification exercise for assembly poll results, total assembly constituencies involved are three where verification has been sought in 26 polling stations. According to the SOP, the concerned state chief electoral officer (CEO) was required to communicate to the manufacturers the consolidated list of applicants within 30 days of the date of declaration of results -- by July 4. The CEOs have already conveyed the same to the manufacturers 15 days ahead of the schedule, the EC said. The technical SOP enumerating the methodology and steps for checking and verification of burnt memory/ micro-controller of the EVM units will be issued by the EC in due course.

EC receives applications for EVM verification on 8 LS seats in 6 states

It is a momentous day for the country as we finally enter the vote-counting phase of the <keyword id="20181062" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="2024-Lok-Sabha-election" source="keywords">2024 Lok Sabha election</keyword> process on June 4. The 80-day, seven-phase-long process has been marred with a wide range of issues ranging from weather turmoil to vote tampering and reelections. As the final leg of counting concludes in a few hours, here’s what the vote tallying process looks like, and what is likely to happen after after the final results are announced. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Vote counting" comment="subhead" text="Vote counting"><keyword id="389062" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="vote-counting" source="Orion">Vote counting</keyword></cmsannotation> While the election process takes place in several stages, the vote tallying process is carried out simultaneously in all of the country’s 543 constituencies, with typically one counting centre in each. The tallying is done by a ‘Returning Officer’ and their assistants — officials appointed by the <keyword id="19895876" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission-of-India" source="keywords">Election Commission of India</keyword> — in several rounds, or ‘leads’. This year, the counting process began at 8 AM IST on June 4, and is expected to carry on till beyond the afternoon. It will start with the tallying of postal ballots — ballot papers distributed to some categories of people — followed by the <keyword id="21930663" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EVM-count" source="keywords">EVM count</keyword>. Periodically, the results of the ongoing count are announced to the media and then televised, helping the nation learn of the current political trend. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The counting process for the Lok Sabha Election" comment="subhead" text="The counting process for the Lok Sabha Election">The counting process for the Lok Sabha Election</cmsannotation> Under Rule 54 A of the Conduct of Elections Rules 1961, the process for counting votes starts with postal ballots at the Returning Officer's (RO) table. Thirty minutes into postal ballot counting, Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes can be counted, or immediately if no postal ballots are present. Counting officials must ensure that the EVM's Control Unit (CU) seal is intact and that the total votes match Form 17C before counting. Results from the CU are recorded in Part-II of Form 17C, and verified by the counting supervisor, micro observer, and candidate agents. If the CU's display fails, <keyword id="20991106" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="VVPAT-slips" source="keywords">VVPAT slips</keyword> are counted post-CU counting. Results for each CU are documented and signed in Form 17C, which is then sent for compiling the final result in Form 20. VVPAT slip counting starts after CU votes are counted, with mandatory verification of VVPAT slips from five random polling stations per constituency. If the victory margin is less than the rejected postal ballots, those ballots are re-verified before declaring the result. In case of a tie, the winner is determined by a draw of lots. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Results are announced" comment="subhead" text="Results are announced">Results are announced</cmsannotation> The outcome for each constituency is announced as soon as counting concludes. As per <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>’s counting system, the candidate with the highest number of votes will win for a particular constituency, regardless of whether they are able to manage a majority. These results are generally televised throughout the day. After the <keyword id="19895782" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election-commission" source="keywords">Election Commission</keyword> of India (ECI) has tallied all 64 crore votes that were cast this year, the constitutional body will announce the results for all 543 seats. Subsequently, if the winning party of the alliance has secured at least 272 seats, the institution’s president will call upon the leader of the winning party to form a government for the next five-year term. If no group is able to achieve a clear majority, political parties may form coalitions to reach the 272 magic number. If all negotiations fail and a “minority government” cannot be formed by the largest party, the President of India may dissolve the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament) and announce fresh elections. The next Lok Sabha must be announced before the current term ends on June 16. Most exit polls have indicated another landslide victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, with a third term for Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword>. However, early trends suggest that the Congress-led INDIA bloc is performing far better than expected. Results are expected to be clearer by the afternoon.

What will happen after the election commission finishes counting all Lok Sabha votes?

Citing the Conduct of <keyword id="19895095" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="election" source="keywords">Election</keyword> Rules, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Monday said the <keyword id="21922459" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="count" source="keywords">count</keyword> of <keyword id="20105752" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="postal-ballots" source="keywords">postal ballots</keyword> will start first across all counting centres and asserted that there was "no doubt about it". Responding to questions at a press conference here, he said after half-an-hour of the start of the postal ballot count, the counting of votes recorded in the electronic voting machines will commence. A delegation of the opposition parties had on Sunday met the Commission to demand that postal ballot count should start first and the results of postal ballots should be announced first. "Rules clearly state (Rule 54A) that postal ballot count will start first. On all centres in the country it will start first, no doubt about it. After half-an-hour we start the <keyword id="20041623" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EVM" source="keywords">EVM</keyword> count. So, there are three countings which are happening simultaneously - it happened in the 2019 elections, it happened in all the assembly polls held thereafter. It happened yesterday also in case of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim assembly (vote count). We can't change anything mid course. Why can't we change, because it is compliant with the rules," he said. He said the postal ballot count and then the EVM count and finally the marching of VVPT slips with EVM results will continue. In majority of the booths, the number of postal ballot is less. It will automatically end first, he pointed out. Since 2019, VVPAT (paper-trail machine) slips from five randomly selected polling stations per assembly constituency (or segment in cases of <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> seats) are matched with the EVM count for greater transparency.

Count of postal ballots will commence first: CEC

The <keyword id="40807" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission">Election Commission</keyword> on Friday ordered repoll at a polling station in Southern <keyword id="6354915" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="assam">Assam</keyword> after the electronic voting machine (EVM) was found in a <keyword id="14666" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> candidate wife's <keyword id="46210" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vehicle">vehicle</keyword> on Thursday evening. The EC said in a statement that the presiding officer and three other officials have been placed under suspension and a repoll has been ordered at the Indira M.V. School polling station under Ratabari Assembly constituency in the state. "Although the seals of the EVM were found intact, it has nevertheless been decided to do a repoll at the Indira M.V. School polling station as added precaution," the statement said. The Commission also sought a report from the Special Observer about the incident. The statement said that after the officials car carrying the <keyword id="11034879" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="polled-evm-machine">polled EVM machine</keyword> to Karimganj was broken down they boarded a passing private car which was subsequently surrounded by a mob of about 50 people that started pelting stones at them. The mob at the Kanaishil (under Karimganj district) alleged that the EVM was being taken to be tampered with. The private car was owned by the wife of BJP candidate of the neighbouring Patharkandi constituency Krishnendu Paul. The statement added that due to the heavy rains on Thursday night and the roads being muddy, the official car of the <keyword id="2235016" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="polling-personnel">polling personnel</keyword> broke down and then they boarded a private vehicle along with their polled EVM and other materials without checking the ownership of the vehicle. Immediately after receiving information about the incident, the District Election Officer of Karimganj along with the district Superintendent of Police (SP) rushed to the spot and reached there at 10.20 p.m. on Thursday night.During the course of the stone pelting, Karimganj SP Mayank Kumar sustained minor injuries on his collarbone and blank firing had to be resorted to disperse the mob. The first polling officer, who was found missing in the commotion, was rescued early on Friday morning from a nearby area. About the incident Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a tweet said : "Every time there is an election video of private vehicles caught transporting EVMs show up... Unsurprisingly they have the following things in common: 1. The vehicles usually belong to BJP candidates or their associates. ...." Over 77 per cent of the 73,44,631 voters exercised their franchise in the second phase of polling in Assam on Thursday in the 39 constituencies. Of the three-phase elections to the 126-member <keyword id="124967" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Assam-Assembly">Assam Assembly</keyword>, the third and final phase of polling will be held in 40 seats on April 6. Nearly 80 per cent of 81,09,815 voters cast their votes on March 27 in the first phase of polling in 47 constituencies. The results will be declared on May 2. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasa-estimates-pandemic-could-cost-it-around-3-billion-quick-look-at-projects-to-take-the-biggest-hit/slidelist/81869940.cms">NASA estimates the pandemic ballooned costs by $3 billion — here are the projects to take the biggest hit</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/a-5-5-billion-british-fintech-start-up-may-have-200-jobs-to-offer-in-india/articleshow/81867620.cms">A $5.5 billion British fintech start up may have 200 jobs to offer in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/pune-set-for-a-partial-lockdown-as-covid19-cases-surge/articleshow/81870720.cms">From night curfew to restaurants being shut, Pune embraces a partial lockdown as COVID-19 cases surge</a>

Election Commission suspends three presiding officials and orders repoll in Southern Assam after EVM machine found in BJP candidate's wife's vehicle

The Election Commission of India introduced Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Indian elections between 1998 and 2001. This initiative brought about a shift from the conventional system of paper ballot voting to the more sophisticated electronic voting. Following charges by the opposition parties regarding the reliability of the EVMs, the Supreme Court directed the EC to include a paper trail to help ascertain the reliable operation of the EVMs. Hence the EC introduced Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) between 2012 and 2013 that will accompany the EVMs and will enable the voters verify their votes. Voting during the upcoming Delhi assembly elections on 9 February 2020 will happen solely through EVMs accompanied by <keyword id="686046" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="VVPAT">VVPAT</keyword> verification procedure. What are the features of EVMs EVMs have ruled out the massive manual work involved in the counting of paper ballot votes which also consumed a lot of time. They also mark a move towards eco-friendly elections as the use of printed ballot slips has been completely eliminated. Some interesting features of the EVMs are given hereunder. <ul><li>EVMs come with an embedded feature to limit the vote casting rate to five per minute. </li><li>They have a security lock close feature</li><li>EVMs also store the electronic voting signatures and thumb impressions to confirm the voter’s identity. </li><li>They feature once write read-only memory and are made with secure manufacturing practices.</li><li>EVMs are battery powered and do not have any networking capability or wireless or wired internet components and interface. </li></ul>What is the use of VVPATs Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) provides feedback to the voters while a ballotless electronic voting system is deployed. VVPATs add a verification system to the EVMs by letting the voters verify if their vote was cast correctly. They provide a paper medium to store the votes in addition to the electronic system used by the EVMs. They also make it possible to arrange for a manual counting of votes if a recount is necessary in case of any arising disputes. How to cast the <keyword id="8631570" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="vote-using-evm">vote using EVM</keyword> and VVPAT <ul><li>Enter the polling booth and produce the photo voter slip and a valid ID proof.</li><li>Your name on the electoral roll will be checked and you will be asked to sign on the register.</li><li>The indelible ink mark will be applied on the nail of your left index finger.</li><li>The polling officer will press a button to enable the ballot unit when you move into the polling compartment.</li><li>Choose the name or symbol of the candidate of your choice and press the blue button against it.</li><li>You will see the red light against the name or symbol of the candidate indicating that your vote has been casted.</li><li>The VVPAT will give a print out of a ballot slip that will contain the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate for whom you have casted your vote. You can see the print out through the glass which will be visible for seven seconds. Then it will be cut and dropped inside the drop box with a beep sound. Note that the print out will not be given to you. In case you cannot see the ballot slip and if you happen to hear a loud beep sound, you can approach the presiding officer.</li></ul>

Delhi Election: How to cast the vote using EVM and VVPAT

The Election Commission today assured that polled electronic voting machines (EVM) are ‘absolutely safe in strongrooms’-- reacting to videos on media and social media which show EVMs being transported in private vehicles. “The visuals seen viral on media do not pertain to any EVMs used during the polls,” said EC in a press statement. These series of videos show these machines being tampered in Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (UP). Opposition Unites Leaders of several parties like Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) complained to the EC on these alleged movement of electronic voting machines (EVMs) to replace the polled machines in strongrooms. Chandrababu Naidu who is already doing the rounds and gathering steam against Bharatiya Janata Party, is one of the leaders along with Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury who is mobilizing parties to meet EC. “The EC is yet to come out with a procedure in case there is a mismatch between the VVPAT and the EVM tally. We want that even for a single mismatch in the VVPAT samples picked for counting and EVMs, all VVPATs in that assembly segment must be counted. This is important to maintain integrity of the electoral process,” Yechury said, according to a <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/lok-sabha-elections/oppn-parties-may-meet-ec-to-demand-evm-tracking/story-e6PJ9EOGW99ZuX7GGcvuRM.html">HT report</a>. EC however has been assuring that its procedures are in place. “The aspersions in clips being used in media merely pertain to the storage or movement of Reserve unused EVMs. However, any case of lapse even in handling of reserve EVMs is thoroughly investigated and disciplinary action taken against the officers responsible,” EC assured in a statement. Exit Poll Effect These allegations which came a day after exit polls, and mostly by opposition parties, could cast a shadow of doubt on Lok Sabha election results, which are to be announced on May 23. A poll of polls predicts a comfortable win for National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by PM Narendra Modi. An aggregation of the various exit polls says that NDA would win more than 300 seats in the current Lok Sabha Election, leaving no option for many opposition parties to come together and form a front, in case of a fractured mandate. Former President of India Pranab Mukherjee, who had been a career Congress politician and Finance Minister for many years, was one of the many people who<a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/elections-2019-pranab-mukherjee-says-concerned-at-reports-of-alleged-tampering-of-voters-verdict-ami-2040695"> </a>expressed concern over alleged ‘tampering of voters’ verdict’. <a href="https://twitter.com/CitiznMukherjee/status/1130767638508949504">https://twitter.com/CitiznMukherjee/status/1130767638508949504</a> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-households-face-a-double-whammy-with-price-hikes-in-milk-and-fuel/articleshow/69424415.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Indian households face a double whammy with price hikes in milk and fuel</a>

Conspiracy theories hound electronic voting machines two days before India’s election results

<ul><li>Multiple constituencies around India are reporting of problems with their Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).</li><li>Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are among the two states with the highest instances of <keyword id="59035" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="evm">EVM</keyword> malfunctions so far.</li><li>A Jana Sena party member was also arrested for trying to destroy an <keyword id="467705" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="EVM-machine">EVM machine</keyword> in Andhra Pradesh.</li></ul>The general election has only just begun and <a href="https://twitter.com/TOIHyderabad/status/1116168496390594560">reports</a> of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunctions are flying in from multiple corners of the country. Butchirajupalem in Visakhapatnam and Cooch Behar in West Bengal were one of the first constituencies to halt voting because the EVM machines stopped working. One of the poll booths in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh and two booths in Hyderabad, Telangana are also reported facing problems with their voting machines a while later. But most of the EVM malfunctions are being reported in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. In Andhra Pradesh, Telugu Desam Party and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) are reporting EVM malfunctions. YSRCP is reporting that as many as 99 of the polling booths aren’t working. Tensions between both political parties have <a href="http://resulted">resulted</a> in violent clashes and ransacking of poll booths. According to the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, its a <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1116216514917617670?s=19" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">discouraging signal</a> for voters who may not necessarily return once an EVM has been replaced or repaired. And if it wasn’t enough that EVMs are breaking down on their own, a Jana Sena party member was <a href="https://www.abplive.in/election/jana-sena-candidate-arrested-for-damaging-evm-962424">arrested</a> from trying to destroy one of the voting machines in the Guntakal Assembly constituency of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh. <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1116346109494996992?s=19">According</a> to the election commission there have been six incidents in Andhra Pradesh, five in Arunachal Pradesh, one in Bihar, two in Manipur and one in West Bengal. The issue of EVMs EVMs have faced their fair share of controversy in India. There has been many a claim that the machines are vulnerable to being hacked and have security issues. It’s one of the reasons that Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) was brought into the picture. It allows voters to verify that their vote was registered correctly. 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="image" title="26b8624d4b3c341ade960017541b32eb" msid="68825834" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Confidence in EVMS as a voting mechanism has been waning&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>











 Even the Supreme Court, in trying to increase confidence in the electoral process has asked the for random auditing of poll booths to increase from one to five. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/general-elections-2019-vvpat-how-to-verify-vote/articleshow/68475130.cms">Here's how voters can verify their ballots during the world's largest democratic exercise</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-supreme-court-order-on-vvpat-adds-pressure-on-election-commission/articleshow/68776872.cms">India's Supreme Court orders five-fold increase in vote audits putting Election Commission under pressure to prepare</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-what-is-the-difference-between-evms-and-vvpat/articleshow/68480192.cms">What Is The Difference Between EVMs And VVPAT?</a>

The first day of voting in India is dotted with glitches in the electronic voting machines

Following the April 2017 <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/all-you-need-to-know-about-vvpat/article18077550.ece">allegations</a> of the tampering of Electronic Voting Machine (<keyword id="59035" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="evm">EVM</keyword>), around 16 political parties of the country had appealed to the Election Commission of India to bring back ballot papers in the elections. The Election Commission made a note of their grievance. However, ballot papers are considered as an archaic tool and it abounded almost illogical to resort to them once again. Hence the Commission thought of <keyword id="686046" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="VVPAT">VVPAT</keyword> or Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail as a valid way to address the raising concerns. Here is a comparison of <keyword id="4367959" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="evm-and-vvpat">EVM and VVPAT</keyword>. What are EVMs? Expanded as Electronic Voting Machines, EVMs are electronic devices used in the polling booths for letting the electors cast their votes electronically without revealing their identity. There had been a number of complaints about booth capturing. Hence the EC introduced EVMs to replace the conventional ballot system. For the first time in India, EVMs were seen in use in 1982 during the Kerala Assembly Elections. An EVM has two segments: a control unit and the balloting unit. The control unit is managed by the polling officer appointed by the Election Commission. This officer turns the EVM on by pressing the ballot button. The other segment called the balloting unit is placed in the voting compartment. The electors can cast their vote by pressing one of the buttons seen against the names and party symbols of the contesting candidates. What are VVPATs? VVPAT is not a different voting system. It is only an augmented feature of the EVMs. The Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail can give feedback to electors casting their vote. We can say it is a kind of independently working printer machine that enables the voters to check if the vote they casted had gone to the intended contester. The working of VVPATs After casting their votes in the EVM, the voter can press a button in the EVM machine and it prints a paper slip that will reveal the symbol and name of the candidate for whom they have voted. Hence the voters can verify their choice. The ballot slip thus printed will be visible to the voter for about seven seconds through a glass case in the VVPAT. After that, the ballot paper will be cut letting it fall inside the drop box accompanied by a beep sound. Only the polling officers can access the VVPAT machine. The Supreme Court Verdict In 2013, the Supreme Court ordered for the introduction of paper trails in EVMs phase by phase during the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections. The Supreme Court had said, "EVMs with VVPAT system ensure the accuracy of the voting system. With an intent to have the fullest transparency in the system and to restore the confidence of the voters, it is necessary to set up EVMs with VVPAT system because vote is nothing but an act of expression which has immense importance in democratic system." There had been a widespread call that the Election Commission introduces VVPAT machines during the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.

What Is The Difference Between EVMs And VVPAT?

<ul><li>The cyber expert claims his team knew the electronic voting machines were tampered with </li><li>EC calls the claims a “motivated slugfest,” adding that it stands by the integrity of the voting machines </li><li>The Election Commission is reportedly also considering legal action against the cyber expert</li></ul>The <keyword id="65281" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-Commission-of-India">Election Commission of India</keyword> has strongly refuted claims made by a US cyber expert, Syed Suja, that the country’s last elections were rigged, calling it a “motivated slugfest.” It has said it stands by the “foolproof nature” of its EVMs. "It needs to be reiterated that these EVMs are manufactured in Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) under very strict supervisory and security conditions and there are rigorous standard operating procedures (SOPs) meticulously observed at all stages under the supervision of a committee eminent technical experts constituted way back 2010," EC said in a statement. On Monday, Suja alleged during an event held in London, that he knew that a private company was used to generate low frequency signals to hack the electronic voting machines used in the last elections, claiming he had helped design the voting machines. He further claimed that his team was able to intercept the transmissions in the recent assembly polls in India, as well as state elections in Delhi. It is unclear if Suja was a regular employee of ECIL as that claim is still unverified. The Election Commission is reportedly also <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/election-commission-evm-hacking-2014-elections-5549033/">considering</a> legal action against the expert, the Indian Express reported. The expert has said he has had to take political asylum in the US because of threats against his team. Claims of <keyword id="4411691" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="evm-hacking">EVM hacking</keyword> have been made before, but by opposition parties following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s landslide win in the 2014 elections. In 2017, members of the Aam Aadmi Party held a “demonstration” to show how the machines could be hacked, a claim also rejected by the election commission at the time. “The so-called demonstration of tampering of ‘look alike’ EVM cannot be exploited to influence intelligent citizens and electorate to assail or vilify the EVMs used by the commission in its electoral process,” EC <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ec-rubbishes-aap-s-claims-of-evm-hacking/story-oZ6QYtfjFLOabGEfKGusEO.html">said</a> at the time. With IANs inputs See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-evms-hacked-news-congress-attacks-narendra-modi-and-bjp/articleshow/67629226.cms">India's elections are rigged, claims an American 'expert'</a>

Election Commission of India refutes claims made by a 'cyber expert' that the 2014 elections were rigged

Polled EVMs/VVPATs will get additional layers of security during the upcoming general elections for the Delhi assembly, says a press note published by the EC on January 6, 2020. Here is an overview of the different layers of security that will be provided to the EVMs and VVPATs. Updated security measures for EVMs and VVPATs in <keyword id="1077342" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-election">Delhi Election</keyword>: <ul><li>Unique IDs will be assigned for the CUs and BUs and VVPATs which will be randomized within a polling station and shared with the candidates and political parties. </li><li>CU and BU will be sealed with pink paper seals and the signatures of political parties and candidates will be collected on them. </li><li>The EVMs/VVPATs will remain sealed before the actual poll starts and the polling agents will also be asked to sign on them.</li><li>The carrying cases of the EVMs/VVPATs will be sealed after the polling closes and the polling agents will put their signatures on the sealing cases. </li><li>The machines will be stored in strong rooms and double locks will be provided on the doors of these rooms in delhi election.</li><li>CCTV feed will be made available to the camping area of the candidates so that they can keep monitoring the strong room.</li><li>Two layers of round the clock security will be provided to the rooms where the polled EVMs/VVPATs are kept. The inner perimeter will be guarded by the CAPF and the outer perimeter will be manned by the state armed force. </li><li>On a daily basis, a log-book and videography will be maintained to record the activities of the officers inspecting the two cordons.</li></ul>

Delhi Assembly Election: Polled EVMs/VVPATs To Get Additional Layers Of Security in Delhi Election

Expanded as ‘None of the Above’, NOTA is a button option one can find in the EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) used for the state and parliamentary <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/10-things-to-know-about-nota-a-voter-s-right-to-reject/story-SkX0EsDQbjG5e2sz0L5N9H.html">elections </a>conducted after 2013 in India. Introduced for the first time in 2013, NOTA has so far figured in 37 assembly elections and one Lok Sabha election till date. The Association of Democratic Reforms, an NGO connected to electoral research has found out that NOTA secured 1.33 crore votes in the elections held between 2013 and 2017. So what is NOTA and how does it impact the results of election? In September 2017, the Supreme Court of India emphasized on the importance of introducing NOTA option in the EVMs in a move to uphold the right of the electors to reject all the candidates contesting in a given election. The Supreme Court said this measure will play a crucial role in helping us cleanse the political system. The statistical information got from NOTA will also help in making a number of conclusions regarding the contesting candidates and the general perceptions and opinions of the voters. As part of the electoral reforms, the Apex Court ordered the Election Commission of India to introduce an option of ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) on the EVMs and also the ballot papers. About NOTA Usually we find the NOTA option at the end of the list of candidates contesting in a constituency. As per the earlier system, the electors were free to exercise the negative ballot option. However, to do it, they will have to contact the presiding officer in the polling booth. They had to cast their vote in a separate ballot paper and enter their name in a register kept for this purpose. Supreme Court said this system was unconstitutional as it failed to protect the voter’s identity. The introduction of NOTA option in the voting machines does not require one should contact the presiding officer and it also helps maintain the anonymity of the voter casting it. Does NOTA make any difference in the outcome of elections? A senior officer in the <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/vote-of-discontent-how-does-nota-impact-the-election-results-2069407.html">Election Commission</a> said NOTA will hardly have any impact on the results of an election. In the first place, NOTA was introduced with an idea that more choices will give way to a higher turnout of voting in the elections. NOTA will give an option to the voters to express their disapproval of all the candidates contesting in the election and provide a way to express their disenchantment in the contemporary political system of the country. NOTA does not affect the outcome of the elections. Even if the count of NOTA is significantly higher than the number of votes any candidate has secured in a given constituency, the candidate with the highest number of votes will still be declared as the winner. An analysis of the past elections after the introduction of NOTA tells us that the number of NOTA votes cast is significantly low. However, it is still found to be considerable in amount. Studies also show that NOTA is steadily increasing through the successive elections as the awareness about the importance of NOTA is spreading among the voters. A significant insight into the importance and role of NOTA might come through during the upcoming elections. How is NOTA useful in a democratic electoral set up? The Supreme Court maintained that the possibility to exercise the negative voting or NOTA option will encourage the voters to exercise their franchise even if they are not satisfied with any of the candidates contesting. The bench under the then Chief Justice of India P Sathasivam said, "Negative voting will lead to a systemic change in polls and political parties will be forced to project clean candidates. If the right to vote is a statutory right, then the right to reject a candidate is a fundamental right of speech and expression under the Constitution." NOTA has no arithmetic value in an election. It is not a negative vote, but only a neutral one as it does not count towards the final tally. While ordering the EC to introduce it, the Supreme Court said, “NOTA will indeed compel the political parties to nominate a sound candidate.” When we reflect on the objectives behind the introduction of NOTA, we do understand that in future NOTA can play a significant role in interpreting how the political and electoral systems in a democracy are faring. It can also play a significant role in bringing about political and electoral reforms.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: What you need to know about NOTA and its implications

<ul><li>The Election Commission of India shared a picture of all the six officers who went on a journey to capture one vote. </li><li>Six election commission officers traveled 300 miles in the remotest jungle terrains to set up a <keyword id="6393085" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="polling-booth">polling booth</keyword> for a lone voter in the village of Malogam , <keyword id="46408" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arunachal-Pradesh">Arunachal Pradesh</keyword>. </li><li>It even reached out world’s highest polling station at 15,256 feet in Tashigang village of <keyword id="6358126" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Himachal-Pradesh">Himachal Pradesh</keyword> to approach 49 registered voter. </li></ul>The math of democracy in India — which concluded the world’s costliest election — isn’t that simple. From the densest jungles to sweltering deserts, to the world’s highest polling station, it isn’t unusual for election officers to endure the harshest journeys. The most recent election came at the cost of having six election commission officers travel 300 miles in the remotest jungle terrains to set up a polling booth for a lone voter in the village of Malogam, Arunachal Pradesh. The Election Commission of India shared a picture of all the six officers who went on this journey to capture one vote out of the 910.1 million votes for the Lok Sabha <keyword id="3383007" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Election-2019">Election 2019</keyword> showing the commitment of government to reach every voter, no matter what it takes. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="ECISVEEP" handlename="Election Commission of India #SVEEP" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1108375217443930113/L5ef1pki_normal.jpg" favoritecount="45" retweetcount="14" status="Every Vote Counts! Election Officials traveled 300 miles for over 4 days through the remotest jungle terrains to se… https://t.co/ubHmNFJIFS" createdat="1560861269000" id="1140960977216667649"></div>



 Sokela Tayang, the lone inhabitant and the only registered voter of Malogam, Arunachal Pradesh, has become a benchmark to every 900 million eligible voters in India who have the right to vote. During the first phase of Lok Sabha Election 2019, Malogam village in Arunachal Pradesh witnessed 100% voter turnout at 9.30am. Tayang, turned up in the thin shed like polling station to cast his vote for both the general and the assembly election. The process of <keyword id="43546" type="EVENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Voting">voting</keyword> may not have taken long but it was a difficult task to set up a polling station in a remote place surrounded but jungle and mountains treks. The Malogam village has only one household with five residents including Tayang, according to 2011 Census. The 300-mile journey to Malogam Normally, the Election Commission of India assigns random locations to its employees to set up the polling booth. However to set up a polling booth the district, the election officer formed a team of five members who could travel and trek to the hills to set up a polling booth for Tayang. Tayang was informed about the voting schedule ahead of the polling dates. Even on the polling day it took the team a whole day to inform the assistant returning officer of Hawai and Hayuliang circle about Tayang’s presence on the voting day because of bad reception in the area. The election commission had to set up polling stations at several other remote places. The EC even reached out world’s highest polling station at 15,256 feet in Tashigang village of Himachal Pradesh to approach 49 registered voters.

A single vote for election in India comes at the cost of a 300-mile journey by six officers to the remotest jungle terrain

We are in the midst of <keyword id="43763" type="EVENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="General-Elections">general elections</keyword> and if you have already voted or are about to vote, you must have had a fair idea about the <keyword id="6367487" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="electronic-voting-machines">electronic voting machines</keyword> or EVMs. The EVMs were introduced by the Election Commission of India, in alliance with Bharat Electronics (Bangalore) and Electronics Corporation of India (Hyderabad), for casting and counting votes. 
 
Business Insider India knows that you must be feeling inquisitive about how this little machine operates and consequently plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the world’s largest democracy. You need not wonder any more – here is the detailed information about the EVMs and how they work. 
 These machines were first used on an experimental basis during the 1998 general elections. A total of 16 assembly constituencies used the <keyword id="59035" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="evm">EVM</keyword>s – there were 5 each in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and 6 in the NCT of Delhi. An EVM includes a control unit and a balloting unit, connected by a 5m cable. The presiding officer of the booth, who is generally a central government employee trained to operate these machines, is in charge of the control unit while the balloting unit is used by the voters to cast their votes. 
 
An EVM runs on a 6 volt alkaline battery. So it is possible to use them in rural booths with no electricity connections. Also, it is easier for the illiterate people to press a button rather than putting the stamp mark on or near the symbol of the chosen candidate. A maximum of 3,840 votes can be cast through one EVM. But that is not an issue as the number of voters in a polling station will not exceed 1500. 
 
If an EVM goes out of order, a spare EVM can be provided to the booth by the designated officer. However, the votes already cast by the voters are safely stored in the control unit kept with the presiding officer, thus avoiding the near-impossible task of asking the voters to vote again. 
 
One EVM can cater to 16 candidates at a time and 4 such EVMs can be placed next to each other in one polling station to cater to a maximum of 64 candidates for one constituency. In case more than 64 candidates are contesting the polls from a single constituency, traditional paper ballots and ballot boxes will have to be pressed into service. 
 
EVMs can also prevent malpractices like booth capturing to a great extent. As these machines can register only 5 votes per minute, miscreants can only cast a limited number of votes before they get caught. This is an advantage over the traditional ballot boxes where the frauds can put in a huge number of illegally marked ballot papers. 
 
With the EVMs in place, the principle of ‘one man, one vote’ is easily taken care of as the machine gets locked after one has cast his/her vote, making it impossible for the same person to vote again, as new ballot number is needed once a vote is cast. 
 
To avoid any malpractice, the presiding officer presses the ‘close’ button after the last vote. The EVMs are designed in such a way that the machines won’t accept any vote after being detached from the control unit. 
 
These EVMs are easy to operate and quite economical as they help save a lot of money we would otherwise require for paper, printing, transportation, storage and distribution. They have also cut down on the time required for counting votes. It now takes 2-3 hours to complete the counting, compared to 30-40 hours taken during the traditional procedure.

You Searched For "EVM" and got 13 results

EC receives applications for EVM verification on 8 LS seats in 6 states

PTI

What will happen after the election commission finishes counting all Lok Sabha votes?

Ankush Banerjee

Count of postal ballots will commence first: CEC

PTI

Election Commission suspends three presiding officials and orders repoll in Southern Assam after EVM machine found in BJP candidate's wife's vehicle

IANS

Delhi Election: How to cast the vote using EVM and VVPAT

BI India Bureau

Conspiracy theories hound electronic voting machines two days before India’s election results

Katya Naidu

The first day of voting in India is dotted with glitches in the electronic voting machines

Prabhjote Gill

What Is The Difference Between EVMs And VVPAT?

BI India Bureau

Election Commission of India refutes claims made by a 'cyber expert' that the 2014 elections were rigged

BI India Bureau

Delhi Assembly Election: Polled EVMs/VVPATs To Get Additional Layers Of Security in Delhi Election

BI India Bureau

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: What you need to know about NOTA and its implications

BI India Bureau

A single vote for election in India comes at the cost of a 300-mile journey by six officers to the remotest jungle terrain

Preeti Soni

How EVMs Work

Nandini Sharma

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