Plea For 100% EVM-VVPAT Verification : Live Updates From Supreme Court Hearing [Day 2]

J Khanna: The polling officer will certainly know when a person goes inside booth but does not vote (beep does not come)

Official: Yes, that is accounted for in 17C

J Khanna: 17A or 17C? please check

Official: Presiding Officer can press the total button

J Khanna: Suppose there is a mismatch between 17A and 17C? How many mismatches you come across?

Official: In 17A, inbuilt correction is available

J Khanna: We sign a register after casting vote. Is there methodology to match the serial no. given in register with the no. of votes polled?

Official: As per convenience, this is done

J Khanna: how does a layman check vote is cast?

Official: We give demonstration runs and awareness programmes

Official: Mock poll takes place on poll day also. VVPAT slips are taken out, counted and matched. All machines have different kind of paper seals. At the time when machine arrives for counting, seal no. can be checked

Official: All this is in public domain. After polling is concluded...

J Khanna: How many votes can be polled in a minute?

Official: Normally less than 4 votes

J Khanna: How many strong rooms?

Official: 1 or 2 for Assembly constituencies, 8 for Parliamentary

Official: 100% machines pass through mock poll. Candidates allowed to pick up randomly 5% machines. Process again repeated on poll day

J Khanna: So storage takes place even before election process has started

Official: Yes. And strong room (containing machines) can't be unilaterally opened

J Khanna: so manufacturer does not know which button is allocated to which party?

Official: and also which machine is going to which constituency

Official: Machines get randomly allocated to constituencies. Pairs created through randomization process

J Khanna: All your units are compatible?

Official: No spurious unit can be connected. They will only recognize sister units