The Supreme Court has dismissed all petitions concerning Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) on Friday. The court rejected demands for 100% verification of votes through VVPAT receipts. It ruled on petitions seeking full verification of votes cast through EVMs by VVPAT, stating that there are two agreed-upon decisions on these demands. During the hearing, the Supreme Court emphasized the importance of fostering goodwill in a democracy and cautioned against casting doubt on the voting process without due cause.
This decision was made by a bench chaired by Justice Sanjeev Khanna. The Supreme Court also rejected a plea for the return of ballot papers during the voting process. Justice Khanna, while delivering the verdict, stated that all petitions, including one requesting the re-adoption of the process of conducting elections using ballot papers, have been dismissed.
What is VVPAT?
VVPAT is an independent voter verification system. Through this system, the voter can ascertain whether their vote has been cast for the intended candidate or not.
How Does it Work?
To ensure transparency in the voting process, this system has been introduced. It appears connected to the EVM. As soon as the voter casts their vote, a slip is generated. This slip contains the name of the candidate and the election symbol for whom the vote has been cast.
