EC to use Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) System in Nagaland by-polls

The Election Commission of India for the first time decided to use Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in the 4 September 2013 by-poll to the Noksen Assembly constituency in Nagaland.
 
Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath is personally supervising the pilot project.

42 VVPAT Systems would be used in the 21 election stations during the by-election. About 12000 registered voters in the constituency would cast their votes by VVPAT enabled Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).

To allow VVPAT system with the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in the by-election, Government of India on 14 August 2013 amended the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.

Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail System (VVPAT)

• The VVPAT system is a new initiative of the Election Commission to ensure free and fair elections.
• The VVPT will enable electors to see a printout of their ballot -displaying the name, election symbol and serial number of the chosen candidate. However the voter cannot take the printout home.
• In case there is a dispute about the voting and a petition is filed, the votes can be tallied electronically and physically with the ballot slips that fall into the compartment.
• The cost of each VVPAT, manufactured by Bharat Electronic Ltd and Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL) is estimated at about 12000 rupees.
• At present, EVMs are used for voting and counting is based on the results in the machines. In comparison the VVPAT will print a voter’s selection, thus also allowing for physically verification of the vote.

Election Commission of India with an objective of free and fair polls, the VVPAT System is introduced. This new voting system is a step towards winning the public trust in election process.
VVPAT system will also help to resolve the election disputes by providing physical verification of the votes in EVMs.

EC would take the decision depending on feedback from the by-polls of Nagaland and it will expand the VVPAT System in a graded and phased manner throughout the country. For introducing VVPAT systems throughout the country would cost around 2000 to 3000 crore rupees.

Election Commission of India

Under article 324, the Constitution of India has vested in the Election Commission of India the superintendence, direction and control of the entire process for conduct of elections to Parliament and Legislature of every State and to the offices of President and Vice-President of India.

Election Commission of India is a permanent Constitutional Body. The Election Commission was established in accordance with the Constitution on 25 January 1950.