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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
First-level EVM checks done ahead of Bihar assembly polls, faulty units sent for repairs to Hyderabad
The first-level checking (FLC) of electronic voting machines (EVMs) ahead of the Bihar assembly polls has found that 12.26% of ballot units, 4.96% of control units, and 4.67% of VVPATs were declared 'FLC Rejected' following technical scrutiny across the state. According to the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office, a total of 1,76,506 ballot units were checked, with 21,634 units failing to clear the inspection. Similarly, 6,389 out of 1,28,726 control units and 6,369 out of 1,36,317 VVPATs failed to clear the test. At the same time, officials said, a significant majority of the machines, '1,54,872 BU, 1,22,337 CU, and 1,29,948 VVPATs were found 'FLC OK'' and cleared for use in the upcoming polls. 'A total of 189 engineers from ECIL were deputed to carry out the checks across the state. The rejected machines are being sent to ECIL in Hyderabad for repairs, while the status of all units, whether cleared or rejected, was updated daily on the EMS 2.0 portal,' officials said. The FLC process, described by the Election Commission as 'a preliminary and crucial technical inspection process,' was conducted from May 2 to June 25 under the supervision of district election officers and ECIL engineers, with representatives from all major political parties invited to observe. The FLC process was monitored through live webcasting in all districts, allowing real-time oversight by the Election Commission and the CEO's office. 'After completion of FLC, the list of approved EVMs was provided to all recognised national and state parties at the district level,' officials said, stressing on transparency in the process. The electoral officers noted that all 12 recognised national and state-level political parties were informed about the FLC programme at least six times and urged to send their representatives. 'Over 200 letters were sent to parties that were not attending, urging them to participate,' sources said. The election body mentioned that the state-level meeting chaired by CEO Vinod Singh Gunjiyal on May 13 reviewed party participation and the progress of the FLC. 'Most major parties, including the BJP, Congress, RJD, JD(U), LJP (Ram Vilas), CPI(M), CPI(ML), and BSP, actively participated across districts, while others such as the Aam Aadmi Party, RLSP, and RLJP had limited presence. The National People's Party did not participate in any district,' officials said. Officials noted that party participation was 'robust in 31 districts', including Patna, Muzaffarpur, and Bhagalpur, while seven districts – Banka, Darbhanga, Gaya, Gopalganj, Nalanda, Supaul and Kishanganj – saw comparatively fewer party representatives during the FLC. 'All parties expressed satisfaction with the quality and arrangements of the process,' the electoral officials said. They informed that the Election Commission of India and the CEO's office maintained 'intensive and continuous monitoring' of the process through live webcasting and field visits. '28 observers, including senior officials and EVM nodal officers from other states, were deployed for on-ground supervision,' EC officials said, with CEO Vinod Singh Gunjiyal personally inspecting FLC halls in Patna and Katihar. With the completion of the FLC, officials said Bihar is now 'fully prepared for the upcoming Assembly elections, reaffirming the commitment to a transparent and credible electoral process.'
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
First-level EVM checks completed in state
Patna: The first-level checking (FLC) of electronic voting machines (EVMs), which began in May ahead of the , has been successfully completed in all districts, according to sources from the . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A total of 189 engineers were involved in the inspection of M3 model EVMs, which were supplied by the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), Hyderabad, for use in the upcoming elections. Reports confirmed that the examination included 1,76,506 ballot units (BU), 1,28,726 control units (CU) and 1,36,317 voter verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs). Of these, 21,634 BUs (12.26%), 6,389 CUs (4.96%) and 6,369 VVPATs (4.67%) were found defective and marked "FLC Rejected." The remaining 1,54,872 BUs, 1,22,337 CUs, and 1,29,948 VVPATs were cleared as "FLC OK". The FLC is a vital pre-election technical process that ensures all EVM components are functional, transparent, and error-free. It is conducted by engineers from the manufacturer under the supervision of district election officers and in the presence of authorised representatives from recognised national and state political parties. Sources said throughout the FLC period, the office of the chief electoral officer (CEO), Bihar, kept the state heads of all 12 recognised parties informed, issuing six communications requesting them to nominate their district representatives. On May 13, CEO Vinod Singh Gunjiyal chaired a meeting with political parties to review participation and attendance, urging them to ensure full engagement in the FLC. Prior to the FLC, district election officers sent formal written notices to party representatives and conducted briefings to explain the process. Over 200 letters were sent to parties that failed to participate, reiterating the importance of attending the checks. The process marks a critical step in building trust in the election system as the state heads towards polls.
Economic Times
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
ECI issues SOP for EVM memory check, mock polls
The Election Commission has released a new procedure for checking Electronic Voting Machines. This follows orders from the Supreme Court. The process includes burnt memory checks and mock polls. It will first be used in Maharashtra's 2024 assembly elections. The verification process involves diagnostic checks and video recording. Losing candidates can request verification of some EVMs. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Election Commission has issued a fresh Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the checking and verification (C&V) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), including a burnt memory check and the option of a mock poll for the first two losing candidates, in line with Supreme Court orders dated May new protocol will first be applied to over 100 C&V applications from the fiercely contested 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, mostly filed by INDIA bloc SOP, issued on June 17 and circulated to all Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), outlines the step-by-step process. Once the status of pending election petitions is confirmed and necessary High Court permissions are obtained, CEOs will share a summary with EVM manufacturers ECIL and BEL . The manufacturers must respond within two weeks with a district-wise C&V schedule, names of authorised engineers, and a designated district in-charge engineer who will sign off on the certificate of authenticity of the EVM's burnt memory and any unit fails the C&V process, a detailed report from the engineer and district election officer must be submitted to the Election Commission and the faulty unit stored separately. The process must be completed within four weeks of CEOs sharing EP status with verification will be limited to 20 Ballot Units, 10 Control Units, and 10 VVPATs per request. Diagnostic checks will cost ₹23,600 per EVM set, rising to ₹47,200 if a mock poll is included. This is a reduction from ₹40,000 during the 2024 Lok Sabha entire process, including the mock poll, will be video recorded and preserved for up to three months. However, this record will not be treated as "election papers" under Sections 93 and 94 of the Conduct of Election Rules, mock poll will be conducted only on EVMs that pass EC's self-diagnostic and mutual authentication tests. The machines will mirror the actual poll-day configuration, and a maximum of 1,400 votes may be cast by the applicant candidate. VVPAT slips from the mock poll will be counted and matched with results from the Control Unit by engineers from ECIL or BEL. Candidates may also choose to load their symbols on the the SC's April 26 ruling, the two losing candidates in each constituency can seek burnt memory verification in up to 5% of EVMs within seven days of the counting day. The original 2024 EC protocol was challenged for its effectiveness, leading to the court's May 9 order approving the enhanced procedure.
Time of India
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
ECI issues SOP for EVM memory check, mock polls
The Election Commission has issued a fresh Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the checking and verification (C&V) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), including a burnt memory check and the option of a mock poll for the first two losing candidates, in line with Supreme Court orders dated May 9. The new protocol will first be applied to over 100 C&V applications from the fiercely contested 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, mostly filed by INDIA bloc candidates. The SOP, issued on June 17 and circulated to all Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), outlines the step-by-step process. Once the status of pending election petitions is confirmed and necessary High Court permissions are obtained, CEOs will share a summary with EVM manufacturers ECIL and BEL . The manufacturers must respond within two weeks with a district-wise C&V schedule, names of authorised engineers, and a designated district in-charge engineer who will sign off on the certificate of authenticity of the EVM's burnt memory and microcontroller. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bank Owned Properties For Sale In Cipinang Muara (Prices May Surprise You) Foreclosed Homes | Search ads Search Now Undo If any unit fails the C&V process, a detailed report from the engineer and district election officer must be submitted to the Election Commission and the faulty unit stored separately. The process must be completed within four weeks of CEOs sharing EP status with manufacturers. The verification will be limited to 20 Ballot Units, 10 Control Units, and 10 VVPATs per request. Diagnostic checks will cost ₹23,600 per EVM set, rising to ₹47,200 if a mock poll is included. This is a reduction from ₹40,000 during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Live Events The entire process, including the mock poll, will be video recorded and preserved for up to three months. However, this record will not be treated as "election papers" under Sections 93 and 94 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. The mock poll will be conducted only on EVMs that pass EC's self-diagnostic and mutual authentication tests. The machines will mirror the actual poll-day configuration, and a maximum of 1,400 votes may be cast by the applicant candidate. VVPAT slips from the mock poll will be counted and matched with results from the Control Unit by engineers from ECIL or BEL. Candidates may also choose to load their symbols on the VVPAT. Following the SC's April 26 ruling, the two losing candidates in each constituency can seek burnt memory verification in up to 5% of EVMs within seven days of the counting day. The original 2024 EC protocol was challenged for its effectiveness, leading to the court's May 9 order approving the enhanced procedure.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
EC to roll out simpler EVM check protocol; major verifications in Maharashtra soon
More than six months after the declaration of Maharashtra Assembly election results - over 100 applications for checking & verification (C&V) of EVM memory across constituencies - largely by the defeated INDIA bloc candidates - will finally be addressed. ET has gathered that the Election Commission will announce a new, simpler protocol for memory checks of the voting machines within the next two weeks, setting the wheels in motion for the conduct of the C&V, which had been paused for months amid court battles. As per rulebooks, the EVM C&V process is timed to be completed largely within two months of the declaration of election results, except in cases where an Election Petition (EP) challenging the result may have been filed in court. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mini House for 60 sqm for Seniors with Toilet and Bath (Click Here) Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo PROTOCOL SWITCH Following Supreme Court directions on April 26, 2024 - two runners-up/losing candidates can seek burnt memory verification in about 5% of EVMs per Assembly constituency for suspected 'tampering or modification' within seven days of counting day. Live Events The original 2024 ECI protocol for the EVM memory check - issued amid Lok Sabha polls - allowed candidates to choose various combinations of EVM/VVPATs for the memory check in the presence of the candidates along with engineers from the EVM manufacturers (ECIL and BEL). This SOP, however, was challenged in court over its efficacy. In a hearing on February 11, 2025, the special Supreme Court bench - with then Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta - took another view and observed that the EVM C&V mechanism was not meant to be such a complex one involving the erasure and reloading of polling data, but merely a verification of the EVMs by an engineer of the manufacturing company to dispel doubts on possible tampering. Awaiting clarity from the court on the path ahead, the poll panel chose to pause all ongoing C&V processes in the interim. The clarity came with the May 9 hearing of the case, where the bench accepted the EC's proposal - to not delete data from EVMs whose verification is sought by candidates. The SC said that the idea was simply that engineers of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) 'certify' that they are satisfied that 'the burnt memory/microcontrollers and software have not been tampered with and their integrity is maintained'. The court has, however, allowed room for a mock poll. Accordingly, a simpler SOP detailing both aspects is now set to be brought in, ET has gathered. MAHARASHTRA CALLING The biggest impact will be in Maharashtra where, in the aftermath of a tightly contested Assembly election in November 2024, a record 104 Checking & Verification (C&V) applications were filed across 95 constituencies seeking verification of 755 EVMs. The maximum verification applications appear to have been filed by candidates from the Sharad Pawar NCP, as per preliminary assessments. The Indian National Congress is not far behind, with at least a score of C&V applications filed by its candidates. The largest number of applications have come from constituencies in the districts of Thane, Pune, Ahilyanagar and Mumbai South-Urban. As many as 137 EVMs are sought to be checked in Pune district, followed by 75 in Thane and 74 in Ahilyanagar, as per ECI data. Nearly half of these were later caught in EPs filed simultaneously in several of the same constituencies.
