SC issues notice to EC on plea to verify at least 50% VVPATS’s

SC issues notice to EC on plea to verify at least 50% VVPATS’s

1. The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Election Commission (EC) on a plea by opposition political leaders. Recently, opposition parties have moved to the SC demanding the random verification of at least 50% Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) using Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in every Assembly segment or constituency.
2. Opposition parties have argued that this would increase voter confidence and make the electoral process more transparent. They have contended that free and fair elections is a part of the basic structure of the Indian Constitution.
3. Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is an independent system attached to an EVM that allows the voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended. At present, VVPAT slips in one randomly chosen polling station per constituency are tallied with EVM results.