Order reserved on Swamy’s plea on voting machines

New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Tuesday reserved its order on a plea filed by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) were not tamper-free and needed rectification to ensure free and fair elections.

In his petition, Swamy said that the EVMs should be of international standard and needed rectification.Swamy submitted that either paper printouts should be incorporated in the EVMs or the Election Commission should return to the ballot paper system to avoid tampering at the time of polls.

‘The Election Commission should at least provide paper receipts of the votes cast for the voter to verify. This move would ensure that a vote cast is secured and the election is not rigged,’ Swamy said before the division bench of Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice R.S. Endlaw.

Swamy contended that in the poll process, transparency had to be given priority over efficiency.He explained that EVMs’ electronic database was chip controlled and that was not tamper proof. He also cited examples of technologically advanced European nations which don’t use EVMs for the same reason.

He said electronic voting machines offered a lot of benefits but suggested nine safeguards to protect them from tampering.

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