The Election Commission has come out with a new protocol for handling and storage of symbol loading units (SLUs) following the directions of the Supreme Court. 

On April 26, the Supreme Court ordered that SLUs should be sealed and secured in a container and stored in a strongroom along with the EVMs at least for 45 days after the declaration of results.

The EC said all state chief electoral officers have been directed to create necessary infrastructure and provisions to implement the new protocols for handling and storage of the SLUs.

As mandated by the Supreme Court, the revised protocols are applicable in all cases of completion of the symbol loading process in the VVPATs undertaken on or after May 1, 2024.

Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT)

• The government of India notified the amended Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 on August 14, 2013, enabling the Commission to use VVPAT with EVMs. 

• Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) was first introduced on September 4, 2013 in the byelection for Noksen Assembly Constituency of Nagaland. 

• VVPAT is an independent system attached with the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) that allows the voters to verify that their votes are cast as intended. When a vote is cast, a slip is printed on the VVPAT printer containing the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate and remains exposed through a transparent window for seven seconds. Thereafter, this printed slip automatically gets cut and falls in a sealed drop box of the VVPAT.

• VVPAT slip is made of a 9.9cm x 5.6cm thermal paper coated with a chemical to ensure print retention for about five years. 

• The voter cannot take it home.

• The specially designed thermal paper used in the VVPAT is capable of retaining the printout for more than five years, so that the printout is available for manual verification by the court,if required in need of a dispute for cross checking the counting of votes cast.

• In April 2019, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to verify VVPAT paper slips from randomly selected five polling stations in every constituency.

Symbol loading process in VVPAT

• The SLU uploads the name and symbol of the candidates contesting on a particular seat on VVPAT or paper trail machines.

• About 10 to 15 days prior to the date of polling, the symbol loading process is undertaken by using the SLUs. 

• The symbols are loaded in the flash memory of the VVPATs in the form of a bitmap file, comprising the symbol of the political party/candidate, serial number and name of the candidate. 

• A laptop/PC with the symbol loading application is used to create a bitmap file comprising the serial number, the candidate name and the symbol. 

• This file is loaded on VVPAT units by using the symbol loading units. 

• Authorised engineers of the manufacturers and the district election officers are involved in the symbol loading process. 

• The whole process takes place in the presence of the candidates or their representatives and a monitor/TV screen displays the symbol loading process.

• Till the symbol loading into the VVPAT is done by using the symbol loading unit, the EVM is blank and has no data/particulars of political parties or candidates.

• The Election Commission has highlighted that the symbol loading process conducted by using the symbol loading unit in the VVPAT cannot be equated with the uploading of the software. 

• A bitmap file comprising of the serial number, name of the candidate and the symbol allocated to the particular candidate is uploaded in the symbol loading process. 

• The symbol loading process undertaken by using the symbol loading unit cannot alter or modify the programme/firmware in the VVPAT which has been burnt/loaded in the memory.

• The Control Unit and the Ballot Unit are not subjected to the symbol loading process and not touched. 

New protocol on storage of symbol loading units

• Before the Supreme Court order on April 26, the SLUs were handed over to local poll officials by the engineers of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL).

• A day after the poll, the SLUs were returned to the engineers of BEL and  ECIL who manufacture the Ballot Unit, the Control Unit and the VVPAT along with SLUs.

• On April 26, the SC said that from May 1, the symbol loading units should be sealed and secured in a container and stored in a strong room along with the EVMs for a minimum period of 45 days post declaration of results.

• The candidates or their representatives shall sign the seal. 

• They shall be opened, examined and dealt with as in the case of EVMs.

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