Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Election Commission (EC) of India on Wednesday said that it has revised the protocol for handling and storage of symbol loading units (SLUs) of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT). The move comes following the directions of the Supreme Court which stated that machines should be sealed and secured in a container and stored in a strongroom along with the EVMs for at least 45 days after the declaration of the results.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the poll authority said all state chief electoral officers have been directed to create the necessary infrastructure and provisions to implement the new protocols for handling and storage of the symbol loading units.
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“As mandated by the Supreme Court, the revised protocols are applicable in all cases of completion of the symbol loading process in the VVPATs undertaken on or after May 1, 2024,” the Election Commission said.
The apex court had on Friday issued directions to seal and store symbol loading units and also paved the way for verification of micro-controllers embedded in the electronic voting machines on the request of the candidates who stand second and third in the elections.
Before the SC order, the SLUs were handed over to the local poll officials by the engineers of two public sector units BEL or ECIL.
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A day after the election, the SLUs were returned to the engineers of the two PSUs who manufacture the ballot unit, the control unit and the VVPAT along with the SLUs.
The names and symbols of the candidates contesting in a particular constituency are uploaded by the SLU on VVPAT or paper trail machines.
So far, the EVMs and VVPAT slips were stored for 45 days after the election results. During this period, people can file an election petition in the high court concerned, challenging the election. The EVM and VVPAT slips can be called by the court while hearing the plea.
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Published: 01 May 2024, 05:37 PM IST