The Election Commission on Thursday said it has received 11 applications for checking/verification of burnt memory/microcontroller of voting machines post the announcement of results of the recently-concluded Lok Sabha and assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
In a statement, the EC said, “In pursuance of the Election Commission’s standard operating procedure (SOP) dated 1st June, a total of eight applications for the General Election to Lok Sabha and three applications for General Election to State Legislative Assemblies have been received for checking/verification of burnt memory/microcontroller of EVMs post the announcement of results.”
The poll panel said in its order it had issued a detailed administrative SOP for the application process, protocols for units to be checked, safeguards and controls for conduct of checking/verification process and required documentation.
As per the said SOP, the concerned State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) is required to communicate to the manufacturers, the consolidated list of applicants under intimation to the Commission, within 30 days of the date of declaration of results i.e. by 4th July, it said.
“Candidates who are at Sl.No.2 or SL.No.3 (‘eligible candidates’) behind the highest polled candidate, may request for checking and verification of burnt memory/microcontrollers for any tampering or modification in five per cent of EVMs, that is, the Control Unit, Ballot Unit and VVPAT per Assembly Constituency (AC)/Assembly Segment (AS) of a Parliamentary Constituency,” read the SOP issued on 1st June.
The ECI said the CEOs have already conveyed the same to the manufacturers 15 days ahead of the schedule.
“According to the SOP issued and the legal position, the checking and verification process can be initiated within four weeks of verification of status of Election Petition (EP) filed in the respective constituencies, from the Registrars of the respective High Courts by CEOs. Timeline to file EP is 19th July for the current cycle of election i.e. 45 days from date of declaration of results,” the poll panel said.
The EC said the technical SOP enumerating the methodology and steps for checking and verification of burnt memory/microcontroller of EVM units will be issued by it in due course before the end of election petition period.
“Manufacturers will issue schedules for EVM checking and verification within two weeks of receipt of EP status from CEOs concerned. Checking and verification of units will start within four weeks of confirmation of EP status,” it added.