Lok Sabha Polls 2014: EVM slip will help voters verify their vote

AHMEDABAD: This time, voters in Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency will be able to verify if their vote has been cast right. Once they press the button of their choice, a slip will be generated which will indicate the vote that has been actually cast by the EVM when the voter pressed the button.

On a pilot basis, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is introducing ' Voter Verifiable Paper Auditor Trail' (VVPAT) system in eight Lok Sabha constituencies across the country and Gandhinagar is one of them. The VVPAT machine will be attached with the EVM and will generate slips like the receipts one gets at ATMs.

This VVPAT is being introduced to ensure that there is no trickery or fraud involved in the EVMs. It is intended to serve as an independent verification system for voting machines and will allow voters to verify that their vote was cast correctly; it will detect possible election fraud or malfunction and provide a means to audit the stored electronic results.

According to EC officials, the slip will be displayed behind a glass case for seven seconds during which the voter will not be able to see what vote has actually been cast. The voter will not be able to touch the slip. After seven seconds, the slip will automatically fall into a sealed chamber.

In case a voter finds that the slip does not show the vote of his choice, he can make a complaint to the polling official on duty. The official, in the presence of other staff members and voters, will cast three trial votes of a particular choice to verify the complainant's allegation.

If the complaint is found genuine, the polling staff will seal and seize the EVM. If the complaint is found baseless, then a criminal complaint will be filed against the complainant.

VVPAT will be made available in all 1,770 booths which are spread across seven assembly segments under Gandhinagar constituency — Ghatlodia, Naranpura, Vejalpur, Sabarmati, Sanand, Kalol and Gandhinagar North.