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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 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

<ul><li>Indias apex court, the Supreme Court, just directed the Election Commission to increase the random checking of votes from just one poll booth in every assembly segment to five poll booths. </li><li>The bench lead of Chief Justice Gogoi asserts that this increase the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.</li><li>The Election Commission of India, on the other hand, feels that this will increase the man-power and skill requirement while only having a negligible effect on confidence levels.</li></ul>Supreme Court of India finally responded to the joint petition filed by 21 opposition parties to increase random physical verification of votes at the polls during the general election in the country. While the Supreme Court didnt meet the request of at least 50% of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/general-elections-2019-vvpat-how-to-verify-vote/articleshow/68475130.cms">Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT)</a> slips — or the Verifiable Paper Records (VPR) — being checked randomly, they did assert that rather than only auditing one booth per assembly segment, five booths would be checked. The bench headed by Chief Justice Gogoi, asserted that the increase in random checking would increase voter confidence and the credibility of the electoral process. During the time of deliberations, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/general-elections-2019-code-of-ethics-for-social-media-platforms/articleshow/68502882.cms">Election Commission of India (ECI)</a> had told the apex court that the system of counting VPRs at only one booth per assembly segment was "found to be most suitable" after multiple studies and tests. 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="Any further increase in the sample size of verification will lead to very negligible gain in the confidence level." auname="Affidavit statement by the Election Commission of India to the Supreme Court"></div>



 The ECI had also warned that in increasing the number of poll booths that will be subject to verification, the man-power and time requirements will also reportedly increase — possibly <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/opposition-leaders-say-6-day-delay-for-poll-results-okay-if-50pc-vvpat-slips-counted-119040700474_1.html">delaying</a> the election results by 5.2 days. The former is especially tricky since the counting of VPRs required training and increasing the capabilities of the election officials in the field. 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="It is also relevant to mention that in many Assembly Constituencies, there are more than 400 polling stations, which will require about 8-9 days to complete the VVPAT slip count. It is pertinent to mention that demands for re-count that routinely arise of the VVPAT slips themselves, which will compound the time requirement." auname="Affidavit statement by the Election Commission of India to the Supreme Court"></div>



 In light of these obstacles, the opposition, led by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, has said, "If delay of 5.2 days is to be balanced with the integrity of electoral process, the balance will certainly tilt towards the latter," in an affidavit they submitted with the Supreme Court. Considering that the general election is less than a week away, its difficult to discern how the ECI will go about making the required changes.

India's Supreme Court orders five-fold increase in vote audits putting Election Commission under pressure to prepare

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?

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

<ul><li>The verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) will be making its national debut at the upcoming general elections in India.</li><li>The VVPAT system was introduced after the Delhi High Court ruled in 2012 that electronic voting machines (EVMs) are not completely tamper-proof.</li><li>The EVMs have also been upgraded for the 2019 general elections to the 'M3' third generation models.</li></ul>While electronic voting machines (EVMs) were introduced to the Indian electoral process in 1989, the verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) will make its debut during the general elections this year. The idea is simple — in order to improve upon the transparency during the voting process, using the VVPAT will allow users to verify that their vote was cast as intended. The new method of vote verification was brought into play after the Delhi High Court <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/EVMs-not-tamper-proof-but-no-paper-trail-Delhi-HC/articleshow/11522072.cms?referral=PM">ruled</a> in 2012 that EVMs are not "tamper-proof." And, even though the court did not direct the Election Commission (EC) to incorporate a paper trail to record the votes, it did suggest that some mechanism should be put in place in order to put doubts to rest. And then in 2013, came the Supreme Court <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/New-EVMs-to-have-paper-trail/articleshow/11561762.cms?referral=PM">verdict</a> that the EC should employ the VVPAT system so that there would be a way to audit the electronic results. How does VVPAT work? Before casting their ballot, voters should <a href="https://eci.gov.in/files/file/9230-manual-on-electronic-voting-machine-and-vvpat/">check</a> the LED power light on the EVM is green. That means the machine is not busy and ready to record the vote. It's once you've cast your vote, there should a 'beep' to confirm that the vote has been recorded by the machine. The VVPAT will then provide visual verification by printing the serial number, name and party symbol of the candidate that was voted for along with the serial number of the VVPAT unit and the poll session number on a receipt. The display window where the information will appear is sealed, so voters can't physically touch the receipt. And normally, when the machine is not in use, the items behind the window aren't visible and the window appears black. So, it's only when a vote is cast on the EVM, that the light within the viewing window comes on, but only for seven seconds. In that time frame, voters will have to verify that the details are correct before the slip gets cut and falls into the a seal drop box within the VVPAT. According to the EC, the VVPAT can only be attached to the EVM — in fact, it only has the one port — in order to register votes. Since the print runs on a battery pack, like the EVM, it's not dependent on electricity to operate. 
 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="ZJReQ8ao0SU" title="Know Your EVM" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZJReQ8ao0SU/mqdefault.jpg"></div>







 Even the EVMs are being upgraded to a third generation 'M3' machines, which are said to be tamper proof and have a self-diagnostic system to authenticate whether a machine is genuine or not, according to the EC. "Each EVM can record a button being pressed only after every 12 seconds. If buttons are pressed more often, the EVM will not record any vote. In any 'booth capture' situation, it would take nearly three and a half hours to press the buttons 1,000 times (the typical number of votes for any EVM) and even that assumes the buttons would be pressed rapidly, every 12 seconds exactly. EVMs are simply not a feasible or efficient way to carry out electoral fraud," veteran psephologists Prannoy Roy and Dorab Sopariwala wrote in their book 'The Verdict', released on March 15. Mock polls are conducted to ensure that the machines are in optimal working condition and the machines are alloted to the polling booths through an elaborate randomization process so that nobody knows which machine will be at which polling booth until the very last moment. The introduction of the VVPAT system should, ideally, serve as a reassurance for those who fear EVM tampering by political parties. Even though the EC maintains that the EVMs can't be "<a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/electronic-voting-machine-tampering-accusations-in-up-local-body-polls-1779349">tinkered</a>" with in any way, there were allegations during the Uttar Pradesh bypolls in May 2018 where voters and some candidates claimed that no matter which button was pressed on the machine, the EVM registered the vote in favour of the BJP. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/jlf-gandhi-vs-modi-bjp-vs-congress-dont-understand-indian-voters/articleshow/67685811.cms">Presidential ego or a dynast's charm — what Indian voters like is still a mystery to the country's politicians</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/general-election-2019-facebook-war-room-in-india/articleshow/68371097.cms">The Indian election might be Facebook's last chance to prove that it can fight fake news and political bias</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/general-elections-2019-model-code-of-conduct-for-political-parties-and-candidates-in-india/articleshow/68358245.cms">India issues 'model code of conduct' for political parties and candidates</a>

Here's how voters can verify their ballots during the world's largest democratic exercise

The <keyword id="20288056" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP-led-NDA" source="keywords">BJP-led NDA</keyword> on Tuesday surged ahead with leads in more than 200 <keyword id="21073505" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="parliamentary-seats" source="keywords">parliamentary seats</keyword> out of 350 for which trends were available, with opposition <keyword id="19895684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="INDIA-bloc" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="INDIA bloc" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="INDIA bloc">INDIA bloc</keyword> ahead in 120, according to television reports. India Today gave leads in 205 seats to the NDA, while the INDIA bloc was ahead in 129; ABP News gave 230 to the NDA and 120 to the opposition alliance; and NDTV showed NDA leading in 194 seats with INDIA bloc closing in on 135 seats. Counting of votes for the <keyword id="56978" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-elections" source="Orion">Lok Sabha elections</keyword> has begun across states and Union Territories, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told PTI. According to the Conduct of Election Rules, postal ballots were taken up for counting first and the process of counting of votes recorded in electronic voting machines (EVMs) began 30 minutes later. The process of counting votes cast through postal ballots and EVMs will continue simultaneously. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Infographic"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> While the Lok Sabha has 543 members, counting is being held for 542 seats after the BJP's Surat candidate Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed. Counting of votes is also underway for the assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, where polling was held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections. Elections to the assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim were also held alongside the Lok Sabha polls. The results of these elections were declared on June 2. Since 2019, VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail) slips from five randomly selected polling stations per assembly constituency -- or segment in case of Lok Sabha seats -- are matched with the EVM count for greater transparency.

Lok Sabha elections results: INDIA bloc leads in 120 seats in early trends; BJP-led NDA crosses 200 mark

‘None of the Above’ or <keyword id="220128" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nota">NOTA</keyword> option has been provided to the voters in India since 2019 in most elections conducted in the country. When a voter chooses the NOTA option, it will mean that the voter prefers not to vote for any of the candidates contesting in the said elections. Why NOTA was introduced in Indian Elections After the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) filed a writ petition, the Supreme Court of India issued a judgment that read as, "We direct the Election Commission to provide necessary provision in the ballot papers/EVMs and another button called “None of the Above” (NOTA) may be provided in EVMs so that the voters, who come to the polling booth and decide not to vote for any of the candidates in the fray, are able to exercise their right not to vote while maintaining their right of secrecy." Why the Supreme Court felt the need to include the NOTA option As evident in the judgment issued in the case mentioned above, the Supreme Court felt it is highly essential that candidates of high moral and ethical values are elected as people's representatives so that a proper governance of the nation is ensured. In this line, the Supreme Court feels that the NOTA option exercised by the electors will compel the political parties to nominate only sound candidates. How will NOTA impact the election results The EC has clarified that even if the number of votes polled for NOTA is more than the total number of votes secured by the contesting candidates, the candidate who secures the largest number of votes will be announced as the winner. Votes polled for NOTA will not be considered to determine the forfeiture of the security deposit. More votes for NOTA will help perceive the prevailing dissatisfaction among the voters in a given electorate. How to cast your vote as NOTA If you wish to exercise the NOTA option in the upcoming elections, follow the steps given under. <ul><li>The EVMs that you will find in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections will have the NOTA (None of The Above) option at the bottom of all the listed candidates. </li><li>As you will move to the ballot station, look for the blue button against the NOTA option and press it. </li><li>The VVPAT will print out your NOTA vote as done in the case of the regular voting. </li><li>View the printed ballot slip through the glass in the VVPAT within 7 seconds after casting your vote. This will help confirm that your NOTA vote has been rightly recorded by the EVM as intended. </li><li>The ballot slip will get cut and fall inside the VVPAT ballot box accompanied by a beep sound. If you do not see this happen and hear a loud beep sound, inform the polling officer to check what has gone wrong. </li><li>Note that you can only check the ballot slip printed by the VVPAT by viewing through the glass and the slip will not be given to you. </li></ul>

Delhi Election: How To Use NOTA While Voting in Election

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

‘No Voter to be Left Behind’ is the watchword governing the policies and plans of the El<keyword id="6360997" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="EC">ec</keyword>tion Commission in India. Through its campaigns and election conducting strategies, the EC wishes to realize universal adult suffrage. The EC has also directed the State election machinery to draft the state level SVEEP Plans, approves them and implements them in a closely monitored fashion. The principal aspects of the SVEEP activities for the upcoming Delhi Assembly Elections <ul><li>Increasing the voter registration and voter turnout</li><li>Ensuring the qualitative participation of the voters in the election process</li><li>Creating a mass awareness among the voters about the use of EVMs and VVPATs</li><li>Sensitizing the different stakeholders of the elections including the elections staff, political parties, general public, and the family members of the PwD voters on active participation in the elections</li><li>Disseminating the information about elections to all the stakeholders in a timely and reliable manner.</li></ul>In order to achieve the above mentioned objectives, the EC has launched a comprehensive and systematic voters’ education and electoral participation program in the <keyword id="1414375" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-assembly-election">Delhi Assembly Election</keyword> Jurisdiction. Some of the salient aspects of SVEEP are given under. Postal ballot facility extended The EC will provide the facility of postal ballot to senior citizens above the age of 80 and persons with disabilities. For the first time, an exclusive kind of outreach activities are being launched for the sake of publicizing this facility among the needy to let them know how it will work. Voter Facilitation Centers Within the Delhi Assembly election jurisdiction, Voter Facilitation Centers will be set up in order to facilitate voters. The Voter Helpline number of 1950 will remain active for the sake of attending to the queries of the voters. In addition, the EC has also launched the “Voter Helpline App”. The EC has also provided an SMS facility on 1950 to help electors verify their names on the Voter list (Electoral Rolls). Dissemination of election related information to the public The EC has taken adequate steps to make sure that the election related information is widely disseminated among the public. Facilitation measures will be implemented to increase the voter turnout and there will also be some reminder services on the poll days. Electoral Literacy Clubs EC is making use of the services of Electoral Literacy Clubs (Chunav Pathshala) to connect with the youth and enhance the awareness about the elections and disseminate the election related information for the purpose of motivating the voters and facilitating their participation. This machinery will also be used to spread awareness and knowledge about the use of EVMs and VVPATs. To achieve the target of ‘No voter to be Left Behind’, the EC has identified the lowest turnout polling stations and has analyzed the reasons for the low turnout in these places. Based on the findings, the EC will implement targeted intervention programs to increase the voter turnout. Measures to motivate the targeted groups EC has launched a series of special outreach activities for motivating the targeted groups including youth women, PwD, senior citizens, NRI voters, service personnel, transgender, and migrants and make them participate in the elections in more numbers.

Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation Programs By EC

If you are a first time voter, these tips will help you vote comfortably during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Remember that to be able to vote your name must appear in the electoral list also called as voter list. Once you have located the booth in which you have to vote, follow these simple tips to vote for your preferred candidate. As you enter the booth, the first polling officer will check your name on the voter list and verify your ID proof. The second polling officer will ink your finger and issue you a slip. You will have to sign in a register (Form 17A) Deposit the slip given to you with the third polling officer and show the inked finger to be permitted to proceed to the EVM. You will find buttons against the list of candidates contesting in the given constituency. The candidate name will occur along with the symbol allotted to the party. In the EVM, press the button against the candidate to whom you wish to vote for. The beep sound you will hear indicates your vote is accepted. The candidate’s name and symbol that you have voted for will be displayed in the screen of the VVPAT for seven seconds before the slip drops into the sealed VVPAT box. This process helps you verify that you have registered your vote rightly. You are free to press the button against NOTA if you do not wish to vote for any candidate. This is the last button on the EVM.

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

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