Highlights of Supreme Court verdict on EVM-VVPAT

New Delhi: As the country votes in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections, the Supreme Court of India on Friday punctured all the conspiracy theories around the electronic voting machines (EVMs).

While the apex court order is expected to remove suspicion instilled in voters' mind by some elements including the opposition and improve the voting percentage in the remaining phases, here are the key points of today’s historic order:

• SC Rejects plea to revert to paper ballot voting
• SC Rejects plea to count all VVPAT slips
• SC Rejects the plea to allow the voter to take the VVPAT slip and deposit it in the ballot box.

Seal and secure Symbol Loading Units

• Court directs to seal and secure all Symbol Loading Units of VVPAT machines, for the symbol loading process to be done on or after May 1, 2024.
• These SLUs should be sealed and secured in containers with the sign of the candidates or their representatives.
• The SLUs shall be stored in the strong rooms along with the EVMS for a period of at least 45 days after the declaration of the results. SLUs should be dealt with in the same manner as EVMs.

Option for candidates to seek verification of EVM programs

Candidates who secure 2nd and 3rd positions in the results can request for the verification of burnt memory semi controller in 5% of the EVMs per assembly segment in a Parliamentary constituency. A written request is to be made within 7 days of the declaration of the results.

• On receiving such a written request, the EVMs shall be checked and verified by a team of engineers from the manufacturer of the EVMs.
• Candidates should identify the EVMs to be checked by the serial number of the polling booth.

Candidates and their representatives can be present at the time of the verification.

After verification, the District Electoral Officer should notify the authenticity of the burnt memory.

Expenses for the verification process, as notified by the ECI, should be borne by the candidate making the request.

If the EVMs are found to be tampered with, the cost will be refunded to the candidate.