ECI Revises Protocol To Handle EVM Units After Supreme Court Order; What’s The Change?

New Delhi: Following Supreme Court’s order, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has been forced to tweak the protocol for handling and storage of symbol loading units (SLU) of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

The apex court last week rejected petitions seeking 100 per cent verification of votes cast on EVMs using the VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail).

Giving a thumbs up to EVMs, the Supreme Court directed that the SLUs should be sealed and secured in a container, and stored in a strongroom along with EVMs for at least 45 days after declaration of results.

ECI said in a statement that all state chief electoral officers have been directed to create necessary infrastructure and provisions to implement the new protocols for handling and storage of SLUs.

“As mandated by the Supreme Court, the revised protocols are applicable in all cases of completion of the symbol loading process in the VVPATs undertaken on or after May 1, 2024,” the poll commission said.

Earlier, SLUs were handed over to local election officials.

An EVM has three components – ballot unit, control unit and VVPAT. The function of an SLU is to upload the name and symbol of candidates contesting on a particular seat on VVPAT.

Supreme Court’s other direction was that the burnt memory in EVM microcontroller must be checked by a team of engineers — after results are declared — if candidates make such a request.

Such a request can be made by candidates placed second and third in the election, and must be made within seven days of declaration of results, the court said.

Two of the seven phases of polling have been completed so far, with 102 constituencies voting in the first phase on April 19 and electors in 89 seats casting their votes on April 26.

The next phase is scheduled on May 7. The seventh and last phase is on June 1, while votes will be counted on June 4.