Now, voters can see proof after casting vote in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to bring in transparency in voting system amid allegations of electronic voting machine (EVM) tampering, Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) will be used in Odisha for the first time during Bijepur bypoll.

“During the Bijepur by-election, VVPAT will be used. The machines would be installed in the booths where the voters can see the proof after casting vote,” said State Chief Electoral Officer DN Gupta today.

Worth mentioning, as many as 270 VVPAT machines will be installed during the bypoll in Bijepur assembly segment in Bargarh district.

While the notification for the bypoll is yet to be out, the CEO said that the schedule would be announced after getting orders from the Orissa High Court.

Earlier, voters had no means to challenge whether their vote has gone to the intended candidate.

The device would be attached to every EVM which will allow the voters to cross-check whether they have exercised their franchise correctly. The machine will display the name and party symbol in a chronological order on a slip for seven seconds.

Notably, Election Commission had issued instructions to the Chief Electoral Officers across the country pertaining to use of VVPAT along with EVM machines.

Despite allegations by political parties of EVM tampering, the ECI has not conceded to such contentions.

KNOW HOW VVPAT WORKS:

When a voter walks into a polling booth, he finds an EVM machine attached to a VVPAT device. When he presses a button in the EVM, a printout is generated through the VVPAT machine. The slip is the testimony to the buttons he pressed, enabling him to verify his choice. The slip remains inside a glass case in the VVPAT machine for seven seconds owing which it slips into a drop box. A beep is generated after the stipulated time.