The Election Commission of India has announced revised protocols for the handling and storage of symbol loading units (SLUs), in accordance with a recent Supreme Court order. The new guidelines mandate that SLUs, which are integral to the symbol loading process in Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines, must now be sealed and stored in a secure container within a strongroom alongside Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for a minimum of 45 days after election results are declared.
The decision comes after the Supreme Court’s directive last Friday, which not only requires the sealing and secure storage of these units but also allows for the verification of micro-controllers in EVMs upon the request of candidates finishing second and third in the elections. This measure aims to enhance transparency and security in the electoral process.
Previously, the responsibility for SLUs post-election lay with local electoral officials and engineers from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) or Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), who returned the units to the manufacturers shortly after polling concluded. However, under the new protocol, these units will now remain under strict security for a longer period to allow potential legal challenges and verification processes.
The Election Commission’s statement also highlighted that all state chief electoral officers are instructed to establish the necessary infrastructure to comply with these updated protocols, effective from May 1, 2024. This update follows enhancements made a few years ago that allowed candidates or their representatives to witness the symbol loading process on a TV monitor, a feature designed to further increase the transparency of the electoral process.
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