Dist office fears glitches in VVPAT on poll day

  • | Sunday | 24th March, 2019

If not handled carefully, it could lead to failure,” the officer said.Deputy district election officer Arun Anandkar confirmed the development. “Through the chief election officer of Maharashtra, we have requested the ECI to allow the setting and sealing of the VVPATs at the assembly headquarters instead of the district headquarters. Though these are easy, it would not be quick to reset the machine,” a senior officer from the district election office, Nashik said.An officer said that there are electro-mechanical parts in the machine, which are sensitive to shocks and jerks. “The problem is that the VVPATs have to be transported carefully from one point to the other. There are some connections that have to be redone in case of a technical glitch.

Nashik: The district election department has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to allow setting and sealing of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) at assembly constituency levels for effective handling of the units.The election department officials said that they feared technical glitches could arise during the transportation of VVPATs from the district headquarters.“During our two months of handling the equipment in the district, it has come to fore that the VVPATs are delicate to handle. There are some connections that have to be redone in case of a technical glitch. Though these are easy, it would not be quick to reset the machine,” a senior officer from the district election office, Nashik said.An officer said that there are electro-mechanical parts in the machine, which are sensitive to shocks and jerks. The ballot units and the control units on the other hand are robust and solid. “The problem is that the VVPATs have to be transported carefully from one point to the other. If not handled carefully, it could lead to failure,” the officer said.Deputy district election officer Arun Anandkar confirmed the development. “Through the chief election officer of Maharashtra, we have requested the ECI to allow the setting and sealing of the VVPATs at the assembly headquarters instead of the district headquarters. This will ensure there is shorter distance to be travelled before elections and better handling of the equipment,” Anandkar, the national-level certified trainer and officer by ECI, said.The setting (of the names of the candidates) and sealing of the machines are generally done at district headquarters a few days before the transportation of the machines to election centres.If the ECI allows their request, the machines will be moved to the assembly headquarters and kept in strongrooms under strict security.

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