What happens when there is a mismatch between EVMs and VVPATs?

The 2023 Tripura assembly elections are set to be held on February 16 while those for the Meghalaya and Nagaland assembly elections are scheduled for February 27. Vote counting for all three states will take place on March 2.

Consequently, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) are back in the poll conversation. So, what do these devices do?

An EVM is a device that allows the casting of votes using electronic means. It aids in or takes care of the casting and counting of votes, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI). An EVM is designed with two units - the control unit and the balloting unit.

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The VVPAT is a machine that is employed as a verification method through which voters can learn if their votes were cast as they intended. A VVPAT prints a paper slip of the candidate a person votes for with the name, serial number and symbol of the party. VVPATs are designed to detect malfunctions and election fraud.

The ECI has recommended that officials match data from EVMs and VVPATs so as to ensure safety and transparency. So, what will happen if they do not match?

In case of a discrepancy between the information on VVPATs and the EVMs, the paper slips of the particular polling station in question are recounted. If the discrepancy persists, the count established by the VVPAT paper slips prevails over the vote count registered on the EVMs.