The Election Commission of India recently refuted claims made in a news report alleging discrepancies in electronic voting machines (EVMs) during a mock poll in Kerala's Kasaragod, where it was purported that four EVMs were recording an extra vote for the BJP. An official from the Election Commission presented this denial before the Supreme Court, asserting that the news report was entirely false.

Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas, addressing a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, stated, "These news reports are false. We have verified the allegation from the district collector and it appears that they are false. We will submit a detailed report to the court."

This response came within the context of a series of pleas seeking thorough cross-verification of votes cast via EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). Earlier, during the proceedings, advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO 'Association for Democratic Reforms,' raised concerns based on a news report highlighting discrepancies in mock poll results in Kerala, particularly concerning additional votes for the BJP.

Upon Bhushan's mention, the bench instructed senior advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the Election Commission, to investigate the matter. Subsequently, the Election Commission official briefed the courtroom on the functioning of EVMs and VVPAT.

Explaining the technical aspects, the official clarified that the manufacturer has no knowledge of which button corresponds to which party or which machine will be allocated to which state. Additionally, the official emphasised that there had never been any discrepancy between EVMs and VVPAT slips.

During the proceedings, the bench underscored the importance of maintaining the sanctity of the electoral process, stating, "This is the electoral process. There must be sanctity. Let there be no apprehension that expected procedures are not being followed."

VVPAT, an independent vote verification system, allows voters to verify if their votes were accurately cast. It generates a paper slip stored in a sealed cover, accessible only in the event of a dispute. Presently, VVPAT slips from five randomly chosen EVMs in each Assembly segment undergo verification.