EC: malfunction in EVM as previous data not erased

 A Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) device malfunctioned during a recent demonstration in Madhya Pradesh because the pre-loaded symbols had not been erased from it, the Election Commission found out.

An inquiry by the EC revealed that the District Election Officer at Bhind in Madhya Pradesh failed to erase the previously loaded poll-symbols from the VVPAT device, which was linked to an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) for a trial on March 31. The EC ordered that the District Election Officer should be replaced immediately.

The device was linked to the EVM for a demonstration before mediapersons ahead of the bypoll in Ater Assembly constituency in Bhind district.

The votes registered on the EVMs linked with the VVPATs leave paper trails, which may be later counted in case any candidate or any political party challenges the numbers delivered electronically by the machines.

The EC inquiry revealed that the device had in fact been brought in from Uttar Pradesh for re-deployment for polling for the byelection in Ater constituency. “It was one of the VVPAT devices, which were not actually used in Govinda Nagar during polls in Uttar Pradesh, but were kept in reserve,” said an EC official.