Understanding the Electronic Voting System
An Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) consists of a control unit and a balloting unit connected by a cable, along with a Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine.
Supreme Court’s Perspective
The Supreme Court recently clarified its role in elections, stating that it is not the ultimate authority governing elections and cannot dictate the functioning of the Election Commission, which holds constitutional authority.
During a hearing on petitions requesting thorough cross-verification of EVM votes with VVPAT paper slips, the court reserved judgment. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta questioned the validity of acting solely on suspicion.
Concerns and Responses
Advocate Prashant Bhushan raised concerns about the petition for cross-verifying all EVM votes with VVPAT paper slips. Currently, only five randomly selected EVMs per assembly segment undergo this verification in a Lok Sabha constituency.
The Election Commission defended the current voting system, emphasizing the foolproof nature of EVMs and VVPAT.
Technical Aspects and Trust
The court inquired about the re-programmability of microcontrollers in the EVM system. The Election Commission assured that each unit’s microcontroller can only be programmed once, despite objections from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
Justice Khanna highlighted the technical report’s details, mentioning the limitations of flash memory and the agnostic nature of microcontrollers in the control unit.
Final Thoughts
Addressing concerns about loading malicious programs, the court emphasized the need for concrete evidence rather than suspicion to issue directives. It reiterated that it cannot control another constitutional authority like the Election Commission.