Let There Be No Doubt: 2019 Polls Via VVPAT Machines

The Cabinet yesterday (19 April) cleared the Election Commission’s proposal of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. Around 1.62 million units are set for procurement by September 2018 at an estimated cost of Rs 3,173 crore.

The decision of the Government would enable the Election Commission (EC) to deploy VVPAT in all pooling booths in the 2019 general election, which will act as an additional layer of transparency for the satisfaction of voters, allaying any apprehension in voters’ minds as to the fidelity and integrity of the electronic voting machines (EVMs).

The Bahujan Samaj Party, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress had attacked the EC for allegedly using "tampered" EVMs. The demand for VVPAT had been vociferously made by opposition parties after the recently held assembly polls.

The Congress has maintained scepticism at the prospect of having VVPAT machines in use by 2019. However, the EC has said that it would closely monitor production of these machines for timely delivery before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

VVPAT is a machine which dispenses a slip with the symbol of the party for which a person has voted for. The slip drops in a box, but the voter cannot take it home. The voters see a voter-verifiable paper audit trail slip for seven seconds, which would be an acknowledgement receipt for the party they voted for in the election.

With Inputs From ANI.

Also Read: Can You Really Hack EVMs?