EC begins nation-wide awareness programme on EVMs ahead of Lok Sabha elections

PTI, Jan 18, 2024, 8:19 PM IST

New Delhi: The Election Commission has launched a nationwide awareness campaign on EVMs and Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) to provide citizens with a first-hand experience of the voting process in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls likely to be held in March-April.

The programme aims at imparting knowledge about the basic features of Electronic Voting Machines and VVPATs, elucidating the step-by-step procedure of casting vote, and educating voters on how to verify their choices through the VVPAT slip, the EC said.

Several opposition parties have questioned the reliability of the EVMs and have demanded a return to the ballot system.

“Awareness through physical demonstration fosters deeper understanding of EVM and VVPAT functionality and is instrumental in dispelling misconceptions, boosting voter confidence, and ensuring a more informed and participative electorate,” the EC said.

The programme includes outreach and awareness activities in 3,464 assembly constituencies spread across 613 districts in 31 states and union territories. These states are other than the five states that went for assembly polls recently.

Over 3,500 demonstration centres and around 4,250 mobile vans have been readied to physically demonstrate EVM and VVPAT functionality to the public.

According to EC’s standing instructions, state chief electoral officers have to start a focussed awareness campaign approximately three months prior to the announcement of election. The date of announcement of the last election may be considered for this purpose, the poll panel explained.

In 2019, Lok Sabha polls were announced on March 10.