Context

Before the 18th Lok Sabha, the major concerns of discerning voters are about the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and whether their vote is recorded as cast. This concern can be best addressed by a simple solution and that is to present voters a proof of their vote (VVPAT slip), so that it becomes a second source of truth of the election process, after the Electronic Voting Machine.

About Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail

• Introduced first time in India in the 2014, Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is basically a ballot-less vote verification system connected with the EVM.
• It is a machine that prints a paper slip of the candidate’s name, serial number and the party’s symbol after a voter has cast their vote.
• To avoid election fraud, it displays the paper slip for seven seconds for the voters to check if their vote has been cast for their chosen candidate.
• The paper slip then drops down to a locked compartment that only the polling agent can access.
• The slips are not handed over to the voters. The collected slips can be used to audit voting data stored electronically.