SC-directs checking of EVMs for tampering: Pick EVMs of your choice - EC to aggrieved candidates

New Delhi: Aggrieved candidates, who have applied for Supreme Court-directed checking of EVMs for tampering post Lok Sabha and assembly results, have been given various choices by the Election Commission, including picking machines from any polling station in an assembly segment and opting for a mock poll and mock VVPAT slip count.

According to standard operating procedure issued on Tuesday by the Election Commission, the candidates who came number two and three have been given a vast number of random tests to choose from.

The Election Commission said that by going beyond controlled environment check and verification process of burnt memory eliminates the possibility or apprehension of any bias or hidden functionality in the firmware. The Election Commission has received eight applications from aggrieved candidates, including those from the BJP and the Congress, for verification of tampering or modification in micro-controller chips embedded in the EVMs post declaration of the Lok Sabha election results on June 4. Terming the suspicion of manipulation of the electronic voting machines “unfounded”, the Supreme Court had on April 26 rejected the demand for reverting to the old paper ballot system.

The top court had at the same time opened a window for the aggrieved unsuccessful candidates securing second and third places in the poll results and allowed them to seek verification of micro-controller chips embedded in five per cent EVMs per assembly constituency on a written request upon the payment of a fee to the poll panel.

The Election Commission said the eligible candidates can give choices of polling stations or serial numbers of machines from within the assembly segment or constituency, subject to a maximum of five per cent EVMs used in that segment or seat to undergo check and verification process.

This will ensure the EVMs are picked up from across the constituency as per choice of the applicant without the involvement of a third party or officials in selecting or leaving out any particular machine.