New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) on Friday informed the Supreme Court that 50 per cent Voter Verification Paper Trail (VVPAT) slip verification in each assembly segment of a Parliamentary Constituency or Assembly Constituency on an average is not feasible, as it would enlarge the time required for counting by six to nine days.
In its response to the writ petition filed by Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and 20 other political leaders demanding 50 per cent VVPAT verification, the Election Commission said that adoption of a large sample for slip verification should render the adoption of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) as otiose.
It is further relevant to mention that any manual count is prone to human errors or deliberate mischief and any large-scale slip verification substantially compounds this likelihood of manual error and mischief in counting of votes.
Under VVPAT, a printer is attached to the balloting unit and kept in the voting compartment.
The voter after pressing the button on the balloting can view the printed slip on VVPAT through the viewing window and, thus, can verify if the vote is recorded for the candidate of his/her choice.
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