Why in news?

The Supreme Court has recently directed the Election Commission (EC) to increase random checking of VVPAT slips to five per Assembly segment.

What is the SC's order?

• Earlier, VVPAT slips from only one Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in every Assembly segment/constituency was subjected to physical verification.
• SC has now directed the EC to increase this to five.
• In general elections, VVPAT slips of five EVMs in each Assembly segment of a Parliamentary Constituency would be subjected to physical counting.
•  In State Assembly elections, this would extend to five random EVMs in each Assembly constituency.
• The Supreme Court order would be implemented in this Lok Sabha polls (2019).
• Notably, there was a demand from Opposition parties for VVPAT verification in 50% or 125 polling booths in each constituency.

Why not 50%?

• The opposition's idea would be a drain on the ECI's infrastructural resources and manpower.
• VVPAT slip counting takes place in specially erected VVPAT counting booths.
• It takes place under the close monitoring of the returning officer and direct oversight of the observer.
• So a 50% VVPAT verification would require a huge increase in extra personnel in each of the 4,125 polling stations.
• The ECI also said that a 50% random physical verification of VVPATs would delay Lok Sabha poll results of 2019 by six whole days.
• Given these, the court said VVPAT verification of 5 EVMs, rather than in 125 polling booths, is more "viable at this point of time."

Is it a welcome move?

• The higher figure will increase the overall number of EVMs to be counted to close to 20,000 machines.
• This should reasonably address the very remote possibility of ‘insider fraud’.
• The court also stated that the aim is to ensure the greatest degree of accuracy and satisfaction in election process.
• However, in effect, the increase to 5 EVMs from 1 would only increase the VVPAT verification percentage from 0.44% to less than 2%.
• Nevertheless, in any case, the VVPAT slip verification is more of a reassurance to voters that the EVM is indeed foolproof.

What is the real problem?

• For the ECI, the key technical issue with EVMs and VVPATs is not really in regard to tampering but to machine glitches.
• The parliamentary by-elections in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and the Assembly election in Karnataka in 2018 had registered significant machine replacement rates (20% and 4%, respectively).
• But these were brought down to less than 2% in later elections held in the winter months.
• The availability of replacement machines and the ability to deploy them quickly in case of a failure of VVPATs are essential to avoid disruptions in the coming elections.