Supreme Court Issues Notice to ECI on Plea for 100% EVM Votes-VVPAT Verification

The Supreme Court has taken cognizance of a petition urging comprehensive verification of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) paper slips in elections, rather than the current practice of verifying only 5 randomly selected Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) per assembly segment. The bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta issued notice on the petition, which challenges the Election Commission's guideline mandating sequential VVPAT verification, citing undue delays. The petitioner contends that simultaneous verification, with increased manpower, could expedite the process to just 5-6 hours. The petition highlights concerns raised by experts regarding discrepancies between EVM and VVPAT counts and emphasizes the need for transparency and voter confidence in the electoral process. Senior Advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan and Neha Rathi represented the petitioner. This development follows the Election Commission's earlier response to a similar petition by the Association for Democratic Reforms, where practical challenges in verifying all VVPATs were cited. The Supreme Court's intervention signifies a critical juncture in the ongoing debate over electoral transparency and integrity.