SC directs ECI to consider Telangana Philanthropist's plea for time-stamped VVPAT slips
Bhadradri Kothagudem, May 27
A philanthropist, Nalla Suresh Reddy, based at Paloncha in Kothagudem district, has raised a significant debate over accountability and auditability of the electoral process by submitting to the Supreme Court that the absence of exact time-stamping on VVPAT slips leaves a significant audit gap.
Form 17A records voter participation; Form 17C records the account of votes; the Control Unit records vote totals; and the WPAT slips evidence of the voter's selected candidate. Yet, where a dispute concerns the timing, sequence, late-hour surge, complaint window, booth-level abnormality or post-poll discrepancy, the physical paper trail itself remains silent on the exact time at which the vote was cast and recorded. A time-stamped slip would enable lawful verification without disclosing voter identity, the petitioner noted.
Speaking to ANI, Suresh Reddy stated that he has approached the Supreme Court through a public interest petition seeking to record the exact time and date of the vote on Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips to enhance electoral transparency.
He noted that the petition was not a politically motivated plea but was aimed at ensuring a truly free and fair election process.
A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant directed the Supreme Court Registry to forward the petition and entire case records filed by Suresh Reddy to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to treat the petition as a representation for consideration. Suresh Reddy informed that he would submit a representation to the Election Commission along with the Supreme Court directive in a couple of days after consulting the legal team.
Suresh Reddy referred to instances of significant last-minute voter turnout in previous elections and argued that printing the exact time on VVPAT slips would improve transparency and help to audit the electoral process.
The court observed that while the issue raised by the petitioner pertained to electoral integrity, the specific relief sought involved questions of technical feasibility and it falls under the domain of the Election Commission.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good step, but isn't this just delaying things? We have EVMs with paper trails already. Why add more complexity? ECI knows what they're doing. But ya, if it improves trust, I'm all for it.
This is exactly the kind of reform we need! Our democracy is strong but needs constant improvement. Time-stamped slips will help resolve disputes without compromising privacy. Kudos to Suresh Reddy ji for taking this non-political initiative.
Interesting development. In the US, we have time-stamped voting records and it helps a lot during recounts. India's election system is already impressive, but this would take it to another level. Smart move by the petitioner.
I'm skeptical. Will adding timestamps really stop rigging? The real problem is booth capturing and fake votes. More tech can be misused too. But if it helps catch discrepancies, then why not? Let's see what ECI says.
One step at a time. First we got VVPAT, then random matching, now time-stamping. Next will be full electronic audit trail. India's democracy is maturing beautifully. The Supreme Court handling this practically is also commendable. 👏
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.