Opposition parties want VVPAT in EVMS

Four opposition parties in Mizoram have urged the Election Commission to introduce electronic voting machines equipped with the Voters Verifiable Paper Audit (VVPAT) system during the assembly polls to be held here on December 4.

Four opposition parties in Mizoram have urged the Election Commission to introduce electronic voting machines equipped with the Voters Verifiable Paper Audit (VVPAT) system during the assembly polls to be held here on December 4.

In a joint appeal sent to chief election commissioner VS Sampath on Wednesday, the Mizo National Front, Mizoram People’s Conference, Zoram Nationalist Party and BJP said people had the right to exercise their franchise without doubts and fear of manipulations and the VVPAT would ensure transparency.

The system enables a voter to see in print the vote cast by him. However, the paper slip of his vote is not handed over to him and is kept separately at the polling booth.

It was successfully experimented during the assembly by-polls in Nagaland on September 4, 2013, and found to be reliable, they said in a letter.