EVMs compliant with the legal framework, EC tells Congress

The current Electronic Voting Machines in use in elections comply with the legal framework strengthened by successive Union governments, the Election Commission told Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday in the backdrop of multiple letters sent by members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance bloc raising concerns about the integrity of the machines. On December 19, the INDIA bloc passed a resolution raising concerns around the integrity of EVMs and asked the EC to allow all voters to verify their VVPAT slips. 100% counting of VVPAT slips should then be done.” The poll body subsequently increased the number of its FAQs around EVMs to answer some of the questions about properties of the VVPAT slips, why and when they were included, tracing the origin of the VVPAT slips, and what happens when the VVPAT or the control unit are run out of battery during voting. The then Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi had noted, “e are satisfied that the ‘paper trail’ is an indispensable requirement of free and fair elections.. EVMs with VVPAT system ensure the accuracy of the voting system.” Subsequently, the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, were amended to allow paper slips to voters.