Supreme Court Upholds Electronic Voting Machines Amid Allegations

The Supreme Court dismissed a plea to revert to paper ballot voting, arguing tampering allegations arise only after election losses. The court also addressed issues of election corruption and mandated measures for microcontroller chip verification in EVMs, while emphasizing voter education and electoral integrity.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a petition seeking a return to paper ballot voting, emphasizing that claims of electronic voting machine (EVM) tampering tend to surface only when election results are unfavorable to certain candidates.

Justices Vikram Nath and P B Varale highlighted the inconsistency in these allegations, observing that winning candidates do not dispute EVMs' reliability, whereas losing candidates raise questions. The plea also sought stricter measures against election malpractice, including disqualifying candidates guilty of bribery.

The court acknowledged concerns about EVM security but stressed their role in reducing electoral fraud. Future candidates finishing second or third may request limited chip verification in select constituencies, while advocating for increased voter awareness and education on informed decision-making in elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)