Paper trail may end doubts over EVMs

The government’s decision to sanction Rs 3,174 crore for the purchase of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines on request from the Election Commission should put an end to the controversy over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs). It is difficult to comprehend why the government was reluctant to allot the funds needed for the machines. The Commission had written 11 letters since May 2014 reminding the government of the urgent need to buy them. The amount needed is not very high and the expenditure is more than worthwhile. With the help of the VVPAT machines, a voter can make sure that her vote has gone to the candidate she has voted for. The EVMs have reduced the cost of elections, almost eliminated physical rigging and made counting easier and quicker. But the credibility of the election process is more important and it is necessary to ensure that the machines are completely reliable and tamper-proof.

The reliability of the EVMs came into the focus again recently when the BSP and the AAP blamed the machines for their defeat in the recent assembly elections in UP and Punjab. They could not provide any proof of manipulation and so the criticism seemed to be more an excuse for their defeat than a genuine complaint. However, the opposition parties, including the Congress, petitioned the President for replacement of the EVMs with paper ballots. There is no case for a return to the paper ballots now. But the doubts and questions that have arisen about the EVMs need to be cleared and answered. Elections should not only be fair but also seen to be fair, as they are at the heart of the democratic process. The Supreme Court had in 2013 told the Commission to implement the VVPAT system in a phased manner all over the country. It has been constrained for funds but will now be able to go ahead with the plan.

The VVPAT machines produce a printout for every vote cast and the voter can ensure that the vote has been registered as intended. The paper receipts will also be useful when disputes arise among candidates and parties at the counting stage or later. The rules regarding the use of the paper trail in the event of a recount have to be finalised and that should be done without delay. The Commission has also done well to conduct an open hacking challenge. It plans to use VVPAT units in all constitu­encies in the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh to be held later this year. They should cover
the entire country during the general elections of 2019.