The voting process in India is a grand affair, and people vote responsibly to choose the best government. In the realm of democratic elections, ensuring transparency, accuracy, and trust in the voting process is paramount. The fundamental role in the electoral process is transparent counting of the votes to elect the right government.
Recently, the Supreme Court of India, rejected all the petitions that were challenging the verification of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips which shows the viotes casted on Electronic Voter Machines (EVM).
The court also rejected the demand of ballot papers being used in elections.
While VVPAT an Ballot Paper serve the purpose of facilitating voters' choices and verifying election results, they operate within distinct frameworks, each with its unique features and functionalities. Here is the the contrast between VVPAT and Ballot Paper.
What is Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) Machine How Does it Work?
The Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) stands as a testament to the fusion of technology with electoral processes. Embedded within electronic voting machines (EVMs), VVPAT introduces an additional layer of verification for voters. Here's how it works:
Electronic Interface: Voters interact with an electronic voting machine to cast their ballots, selecting their preferred candidates or options using the machine's interface.
Paper Receipt Generation: Simultaneously, the VVPAT system generates a physical paper receipt, detailing the voter's selections. This receipt typically displays the names, symbols, and serial numbers of the chosen candidates.
Verification Mechanism: Voters can visually inspect the printed receipt through a transparent window to ensure that their votes have been accurately recorded by the electronic system. This receipt is visible for 7 seconds.
Audit Trail: The paper receipts serve as a tangible audit trail, enabling authorities to cross-verify electronic results with physical records if the need arises, thereby bolstering the integrity of the electoral process.
The District Doda mentions, “Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) or verifiable paper record (VPR) is a method of providing feedback to voters using a ballotless voting system. A VVPAT is intended as an independent verification system for voting machines designed to allow voters to verify that their vote was cast correctly, to detect possible election fraud or malfunction, and to provide a means to audit the stored electronic results. It contains the name of the candidate (for whom vote has been cast) and symbol of the party/individual candidate. Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines are used during election process to verify that the vote polled by a voter goes to the correct candidate.”
VVPATs are a second line of verification and are particularly useful in the time when allegations around Electronic Voting Machines’ tampering crop up.VVPAT system gives instant feedback to the voter showing that the vote polled has in fact been allotted against the candidate chosen. Working procedure of VVPATs After a voter presses the button on the EVM against the chosen candidate, the VVPAT prints a slip containing name of the candidate and the election symbol and drops it automatically into a sealed box. The machines give the chance for the voter to verify their vote. The machine is placed in a glass case in a way that only the voter can see it. The slip is displayed to the voter for seven seconds after which the VVPAT machine cuts it and drops in into the storage box with a beep. The machines can be accessed, though, by the polling officials and not by the voter,” it adds
What is Ballot Paper? How Does it Work?
Contrary to the digital realm of VVPAT, the ballot paper embodies the traditional essence of voting. Widely used in manual or hand-counted voting systems, the ballot paper follows a straightforward procedure:
Manual Marking: Voters physically mark their choices on the paper ballot, typically by filling in circles or boxes next to the names of candidates or options using a pen or pencil.
Collection and Counting: Once voters have marked their preferences, they deposit their completed ballots into designated ballot boxes. Subsequently, election officials manually count the ballots to determine the election outcome.
Transparent Process: The visibility of the entire process, from marking the ballot to counting the votes, ensures transparency and instils confidence in the fairness of the electoral exercise.
The Embassy of India, Dakar mentions, “From the 3rd General Elections in 1962 onwards, the ECI switched over to ‘Marking System’ of voting. Under this system, a common ballot paper containing the names and election symbols of all contesting candidates is printed on which the voter has to put a mark with an arrow cross mark rubber stamp on or near the symbol of the candidate of his choice. All the marked ballot papers are put into a common ballot box.”
READ| Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Google Celebrates the Beginning of the Elections with a Doodle
Comments
All Comments (0)
Join the conversation