The Election Commission of India is criticizing for not being transparent and keeping political parties out of the loop regarding defects in the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines.

What is VVPAT?

A VVPAT is a machine that is attached to the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). A voter casts his or her vote on the EVM as is currently being done.

The use of VVPATs falls under Rule 49A of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, which provides that every EVM shall have a control unit and a balloting unit.

Advantages in VVPATs:

1. Enables to verify vote: Instant feedback to voter that vote polled has been allocated to the intended candidate.
2. Enables authorities to count the votes manually if there is a dispute in the electronically polled votes.
3. Operates under a Direct Recording Election system (DRE) which detects fraud and existent malfunctions.
4. Will ensure greater transparency in voting process.
5. Gives both the voters and political parties an assurance.

Challenges :-

1. Technical Malfunctions
2. Verification of Paper Trails
3. Voter Confidence

Way Forward

• Regular Maintenance:
  • To address the issue of technical malfunctions is to ensure regular maintenance of the machines and testing to identify and address any defects in a timely manner.
• Increased Transparency:
  • To address concerns about the verification of paper trails, the EC should increase transparency in the electoral process. This can be achieved by providing more information to political parties and the public about the functioning of the VVPAT machines and the process of verification.
• Accountability:
  • The EC should take responsibility for the defective VVPAT machines and take steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
    • This can be achieved by instituting a system of accountability for those responsible for maintaining and testing the machines.
• Research and Development:
  • There is a need for ongoing research and development in the field of electronic voting. Exploration of New technologies and innovations required to improve the accuracy, security, and transparency of the electoral process.

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