Mysuru: The upcoming bypolls to Nanjangud and Gundlupet Assembly constituencies scheduled for April 9 will see the use of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units along with electronic voting machines (EVMs) to usher in transparency in the electoral process and to prevent malpractices.
The VVPAT units is a printer-like machine attached to EVMs and once the voter presses the button on the EVM, a printed paper appears with the name of the candidate and the poll symbol so that the voter can verify that his vote has been cast correctly. Once he reviews it, the same goes inside a container linked to the EVM, which can be accessed only by the polling officers.
Deputy Commissioner D Randeep said that it is for the first time that VVPAT units were being used for the whole of constituencies in Karnataka. Similar units were used in select booths in Ballari and Bengaluru South Lok Sabha constituencies in 2014. The DC said that over 500 VVPT units are being brought from Uttar Pradesh. The devices are compatible only with the EVMs manufactured after 2006.
This system is a step further towards prevention of electoral fraud. In case the EVM develops any issues during counting of votes or later or also in case of allegations of rigging or malpractice, the printed slips, secured in the box, can be used to verify the votes.
