Daijiworld Media Network - Mysuru (SP)

Mysuru, Mar 21: Voters in Nanjangud assembly constituency are likely to get confirmation about whom they cast their vote for, immediately upon pressing the button in the electronic voting machine. It is almost certain that newly introduced Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines will be put to trial during the coming bypoll at this constituency.

District deputy commissioner, D Randeep, who happens to be the district election officer for the bypoll being held at Nanjangud on April 9, said that the Election Commission is desirous to put the said machines to use in all the 238 polling booths in Nanjangud assembly constituency. He added that use of VVPAT machines during the said bypoll is almost certain.

Under this process, immediately after the voters press the button located against the candidates of their choice, they get details of the vote they cast, in the form of a small chit. The voter can go through this slip to confirm who they voted for. Within seconds, the chit is swallowed back by the machine. There is no provision to take this chit home.

This system addresses worries of some people who keep complaining after losing the election that the votes cast by their supporters to them had gone to their opponents. Returning officer for Nanjangud assembly constituency, G Jagadeesh, pointed out that these machines were put to use in some of the polling booths during Uttar Pradesh assembly election held recently. It may be recalled that after the poll debacle, several leaders including BSP chief Mayawati had claimed that the electronic machine settings had been altered to ensure that votes polled to different candidates went into the kitty of the ruling party candidate.

Equipping electronic voting machines with VVPAT system will help to regulate electroral irregularities. The Election Commission of India plans to use this system for all the elections being held in the country henceforth. It has been seeking financial allocation for shifting to this system from the central government. The Commission, it is said, is keen to use this system in Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held in 2019.