EC seeks roadmap for EVM with printers

An Election Commission committee on Friday asked Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) manufacturers the time-frame within which the machines can be upgraded as per its suggestions. HT reports.

An Election Commission committee on Friday asked Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) manufacturers the time-frame within which the machines can be upgraded as per its suggestions.

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The high level technical committee has suggested some up-gradations including installing a small printer in EVMs as reported by HT on Friday, to give out receipts for every vote cast.

The idea is to have a record of all the votes that can be verified. The voter, however, will not get the receipt as the commission believes it could be traded. The concept is called paper trail of votes cast.

The committee asked the two EVM manufacturing companies, Bharat Electronics Limited and Electronics Corporation of India Limited, to come out with a roadmap to introduce paper trail in 14 lakh EVMs.

“The manufacturers have been asked to submit the road map in next four weeks,” a senior commission official told HT. Once that is done, the entire poll panel will take a final call on the deadline the new feature will be added into the EVMs.

The expert committee also made a detailed final presentation on the technological aspect of introducing paper trial to the two manufacturers.