Election Commission Must Count All VVPAT Slips to Protect Electoral Integrity M G Devasahayam 22 Feb 2022 https://www.newsclick.in/Election-Commission-Must-Count-All-VVPAT-Slips-Protect-Electoral-Integrity
Every EVM has a VVPAT, but the paper slips are not counted to verify the votes polled and counted. This is why people fail to trust the election results.
The design and implementation of EVMs and the results of both software and hardware verification are not public, nor open to a full independent review. The Voter Verifiable Paper Trail or VVPAT system does not allow voters to verify the slip before the vote is cast. Due to the absence of end-to-end (E2E) verifiability, the present EVM system is not verifiable and, therefore, unfit for democratic elections.
There are two votes now--one recorded in the EVM and one printed by the VVPAT. Rule 56D(4)(b) of the Conduct of Election (Amendment) Rules, 2013, provides for the primacy of the VVPAT slip count over the electronic tally of ballots cast and calculated on the EVMs. Therefore, there is no justifiable reason why all VVPAT slips should not be counted in every Assembly Constituency to assuage suspicions in voters’ minds that their votes have not been recorded and counted accurately.
the false claims of certain ECI officials that counting all VVPAT slips to declare results will take several days. It is common knowledge that under the paper-ballot system, even in larger Parliament or Assembly Constituencies, votes were counted and results declared within 16 or 18 hours. Counting 100% VVPAT slips will not take longer than this. If need be, mechanical sorters can hasten the counting process.