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Source- This post on Symbol Loading Unit (SLU) and how it works is based on the article “SLU, ‘matchbox’ that feeds EVM candidate info” published in “The Indian Express” on 26th March 2024.
Why in the News?
Recently, the Supreme Court dismissed a request to verify 100% of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips alongside Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) counts.
Instead, the Court ordered the Election Commission of India (ECI) to secure and store the Symbol Loading Unit (SLU) safely for 45 days following the announcement of the election results.
About Symbol Loading Unit (SLU)
1. About SLU: It is a matchbox-sized device connected to a laptop or personal computer to load a bitmap file containing the candidates’ names, serial numbers, and symbols.
It is then connected to the VVPAT to transfer that file onto the paper audit machine under the supervision of a district election officer.
2. When they were introduced: Symbol Loading Units (SLUs) were introduced alongside Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) about a decade ago.
3. Significance:
a) VVPATs enable voters to confirm their vote choice by printing a slip with the party symbol they selected.
b) It actively loads candidate symbols and information onto VVPAT and ballot units, ensuring accurate representation during the voting process.
4. At which point in the election process are SLUs used:
a) SLUs are involved in the election process approximately a few days before polling commences at a specific seat. This occurs when EVMs are being commissioned, and the order of contesting candidates is finalized.
b) Candidate-setting can take place between five to two days before the voting.
c) Once this process is completed under the supervision of the district election officer, the SLU becomes irrelevant to the actual voting procedure.
What happens to an SLU after symbols are loaded?
1. A limited number of Symbol Loading Units (SLUs) are utilized to load symbols onto VVPATs for each seat during multi-phase elections. It takes approximately 2 to 3 minutes for an SLU to complete this task.
2. SLUs are then given to the district election officers for safekeeping until the day after voting.
3. During this period, the SLUs are returned to the engineers. They use the SLUs to load symbols onto VVPATs for other seats in subsequent phases of the election.
4. In the subsequent phases of a multi-phase election, an SLU is usually utilized again after completing one phase of polling. Its main task involves loading symbols onto VVPATs intended for various seats.
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