If EVMs are closed in UK-USA then why are EVMs being used in India? – EC gave this answer on SC’s question

EVM VVPAT Case: Hearing was held in the Supreme Court on Thursday (April 18, 2024) in the case related to Electronic Voting Machine (EVM)-Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). During the hearing of petitions seeking full verification of votes cast using VVPAT along with EVMs, it was also revealed that these EVMs, which have been discontinued in the United Kingdom (in Europe) and the United States and are being used in India, What is the difference between voting machines?

Actually, the lawyers of the Election Commission are comparing the EVMs removed in European countries and America and the Indian EVMs. Foreign machines were connected to the network and there was a possibility of them being affected, whereas India’s EVMs are standalone machines. It is not connected to any network. In foreign countries, EVMs were made by private companies, but in India, they are made by public sector companies. There was no vote verification system in foreign EVMs but in India it is confirmed through VVPAT.

…So VVPAT was brought for this purpose

During the hearing, it was also said on behalf of the judges that arguments are being made regarding the transparency of VVPAT but it has been like this since the beginning. The bulb lights up in the machine. Seven seconds are given to confirm the vote. This was the purpose of bringing that system.

Judge said- EC does not need clarification on everything

Justice Sanjeev Khanna told Prashant Bhushan – You cannot express disbelief on everything like this. We listened to your views in detail. Also know about the efforts of the Election Commission. You should also appreciate it. Will the EVM-VVPAT matching be 5 percent, 40, 50 or something else…The Election Commission does not need to give you clarification on everything. Those people are working.

It is not possible to hack EVM – lawyer’s big claim

During the hearing, the Election Commission’s lawyer drew the judges’ attention to the fact that not only voting through ballot paper, the Supreme Court had earlier rejected the demand for 100 percent EVM-VVPAT matching. Some High Courts have also rejected such petitions terming them baseless. The lawyer further reiterated the claim that EVM is a standalone machine, which is not possible to hack.

Election Commission’s lawyer said this regarding the ballot paper

On behalf of the Election Commission’s lawyer Maninder Singh, it was told that the Election Commission is a constitutional institution. She is fulfilling her responsibility. No tampering is possible in the current system of voting with EVMs. The Supreme Court has already rejected the demand for voting through ballot paper. It should not be allowed to be raised again.

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