Why VVPAT was brought in, why Opposition wants all slips verified

Subject: Polity

Section: Elections

Context:

With the first phase of voting set to take place on April 19, the Supreme Court (SC) last week said that petitions seeking 100% verification of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips would be taken up soon.

More on news:

In March 2023, the Association for Democratic Reforms had filed a petition before the apex court saying that to ensure free and fair elections, the tally from Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) should be cross-verified with the VVPATs.
To make sure that this process is carried out as fast as possible, ADR suggested the use of barcodes on VVPAT slips.

What is a VVPAT machine? How does it work?

The VVPAT is an independent verification system that generates a paper slip containing the candidate’s name and party symbol for whom you cast your vote.
This slip is visible to you through a transparent window, allowing you to verify that your vote has been correctly recorded before it falls into a sealed compartment within the VVPAT unit.
This slip of paper, containing the candidate’s serial number, name, and party symbol, is displayed in the machine behind a glass window, giving the voter seven seconds to verify her vote.
The VVPAT unit is connected to the EVM through a printer port.
When you cast your vote on the EVM, the VVPAT simultaneously prints a paper slip displaying your choice.
This slip is visible to you for seven seconds through the transparent window, giving you ample time to verify that your vote has been correctly recorded.
After the verification period, the slip automatically drops into a sealed compartment within the VVPAT unit.
These paper slips are stored securely and can be accessed for verification purposes during the counting process or in case of any disputes.

Why did the Election Commission introduce VVPATs?

The idea of the VVPAT machine first emerged in 2010, when the Election Commission of India (EC), held a meeting to make the EVM-based polling process more transparent.
The field trials were held in Ladakh, Thiruvananthapuram, Cherrapunjee, East Delhi, and Jaisalmer in July 2011.
VVPATs with EVMs were used for the first time in a bye-election from Noksen (ST) assembly constituency of Nagaland in 2013.
VVPAT -fitted EVMs were used in entire Goa assembly elections of 2017 which was also the first time that VVPAT with EVM was used in the entire state.
VVPAT was used in the general election of 2019 in all the 543 constituencies for the first time.
VVPAT runs on a power pack (Battery) of 15 volts.
The Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 were amended to allow for a printer with a drop box to be attached to the EVM.
The VVPAT was used for the first time in all 21 polling stations of the Noksen Assembly constituency of Nagaland in 2013, after which the EC decided to introduce VVPATs in a phased manner.
By June 2017, there was 100% adoption of VVPATs.

Why are VVPAT slips of only five polling booths randomly counted?

VVPAT machines’ are counted to verify the accuracy of an election,
In February 2018, the EC mandated the counting of VVPAT slips of one randomly selected polling station per Assembly constituency.
This was increased to five polling stations per Assembly seat, following a Supreme Court judgment in April 2019 .
The five polling stations are selected by a draw of lots by the Returning Officer concerned, in the presence of candidates/ their agents.

What have been the legal cases surrounding the VVPAT?

The VVPAT has been a subject of multiple legal cases, starting with Subramanian Swamy vs Election Commission of India, in which the SC ruled that a paper trail was indispensable for free and fair elections, and ordered the government to provide funding for the roll-out of VVPATs.
In 2019, Chandrababu Naidu moved the SC asking for a minimum 50% randomized VVPAT slips to be counted.
The court ordered the EC to count VVPATS in five polling stations instead.

Why are political parties demanding widened verification of VVPAT slips?

Opposition parties continue to call for verification of more polling booths to make voting more transparent.
They argue that the sanctity of a fair election outweighs the concern of delay in the declaration of results.