District Administration Demonstrates use of VVPAT Machine
Udupi: Demonstration of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines was held at the DC office on Saturday, March 31.
O R Prakash member of SVEEP committee said that the machines will be attached to the ballot unit of the Electronic Voting Machines. Soon after a voter presses the button in the ballot unit for the desired candidate, the serial number of the candidate in the ballot unit along with the candidate’s symbol will be printed on the paper roll kept inside the VVPAT machine.
The printed part of the paper will be visible to the voter for seven seconds on a small display in the machine, following which the printed slip will separate and store inside the sealed compartment in the bottom of the machine. In case of a conflict during counting, the paper slips will be used to cross-check with the votes recorded in the EVMs.
We have already started demonstrate the use of machines for the media, political parties, intellectuals, decision-makers in society, officials, and even students to prove the authenticity, he said.
DC Priyanka Mary said that the district for the first time will be using VVPAT system for the ensuing polls. There are doubts and rumours regarding tampering of EVMs and VVPATs. There is no question of tampering.
When a voter presses a button in the EVM, a paper slip is printed through the VVPAT. The slip contains the poll symbol and name of the candidate. It allows the voter to verify his/her choice. After being visible to the voter from a glass case in the VVPAT for seven seconds, the ballot slip will separate and drop into the drop box in the VVPAT machine and a beep will be heard. VVPAT machines can be accessed by polling officers only, she added.
ADC Anuradha, CEO ZP Shivananda Kapashi and others were present.