Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system, introduced for the first time in Ranchi, proved a pleasant experience for most of the voters who were able to verify the votes cast by them. The VVPATs are being used for the first time by the Election Commission in Jharkhand during these Assembly elections at Ranchi, Hatia, Dhanbad, Bokaro and Jamshedpur (East).
“It gave me satisfaction to see that my vote is going to the same person for whom I voted for,” said a young voter Imran Khan hailing from Kadru. Earlier, the voter used to remain confused whether his vote had actually been casted for the right person or not, added Khan.
Most of the voters after looking at the VVPAT units were seen smiling with satisfactions on their faces as soon they got assured that the vote they have caste has gone to the right person.
“I was amazed to look at the new machine they have brought in. Such initiatives will also help to boost up the credibility of election process among the general masses,” said another voter Prabhunath Tiwari, who happens to be an Advocate practicing at Civil Court in Ranchi.
Polling officials also asserted that the satisfaction at the faces of voters could easily be seen. “This machine has been welcomed by all who could notice it while casting their vote but those who were in hurry did not even notice the machine,” said Presiding Officer Shivshankar Rai deputed at a polling booth at Kadru Madarsa. Some of the people were not even concerned whether their vote has been casted or not, said Rai. Although lauded by everyone, there were also some of the people who were in the favour of lessening the burden of the polling officials rather than increasing it further.
“We are following the same age old pattern for polling, adopted during several decades back increasing the burden by introducing new machines while at the same time staff at the polling booths are being decreased,” said a polling official at a polling booth at Hindpiri requesting anonymity.
VVPAT is a small display unit attached to EVMs. Once the EVM button is pressed, the glass-covered display unit shows a small slip carrying the symbol and the name of the candidate he or she has voted for.
The slip is in the form of a small ballot paper which remains inside the glass cover for few seconds only, enabling the voter to verify his vote, and then automatically falls into a separate box meant for keeping it safe for further reference.