Election Commission Runs Awareness Programme on EVMs
The awareness programme being run by the Election Commission of India (ECI) focuses on imparting knowledge about the basic features of EVMs and VVPATs. Photo: ECI
Election Commission Runs Awareness Programme on EVMs
The Commission says it has a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for use of EVMs for training and awareness purposes including public demonstration programmes.
By RMN News Service
Ahead of the General Elections to Lok Sabha 2024, a nationwide awareness programme on electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) is underway to provide citizens with first-hand experience of the voting process and familiarity with the machines.
The awareness programme being run by the Election Commission of India (ECI) focuses on imparting knowledge about the basic features of EVMs and VVPATs. It explains the step-by-step procedure of casting votes, and educating voters on how to verify their choices through the VVPAT slip.
Meanwhile, there are multiple complaints against the use of EVMs in Indian elections. It is alleged that EVMs are being manipulated by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of prime minister Narendra Modi to win elections fraudulently.
In an ongoing RMN poll, more than 85% people say that the elections should be held on ballot papers instead of EVMs. But the ECI and the Supreme Court of India are ignoring the complaints and are reluctant to stop the alleged EVM frauds.
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According to ECI, its awareness programme includes outreach and awareness activities in 3464 Assembly Constituencies spread across 613 Districts in 31 States/UTs (other than 5 states that went for polls recently).
Over 3500 demonstration centres and around 4250 mobile vans have been set up to physically demonstrate EVM/VVPAT functionality to the public. The election authorities are also sharing the updates on social media platforms to enhance the outreach of this awareness programme.
The Commission says it has a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for use of EVMs for training and awareness purposes including public demonstration programmes.
The SOP includes protocol for handling and storage of training EVMs, use of only special EVMs with dummy symbols, destruction of VVPAT slips generated during training and awareness, and so on. The Commission says the list of training EVMs used is also provided with acknowledgement to the political parties.
Also, the ECI manual on EVMs carries a chapter on training and awareness.
