In a bid to inform voters about the new Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines, awareness programmes are being conducted across the city.
Bangalore, April 9, 2018: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is conducting mock trials for Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines across the city. The trials come in the lead up to the Karnataka state elections slated to be held on May 12 this year.
This is the first time that this machine is going to be used in elections in the state. The other states that have used this machine in their assembly elections in the past include Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Tripura, Meghalaya,and Nagaland.
Rajshekhar, who was demonstrating the workings of the machine in a stall set up at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad, explained that the machine reassures the voter that he has cast his ballot for the candidate of his choice. “Once you press the button on the electronic voting machine (EVM), a slip is immediately printed inside the VVPAT machine which is visible for seven seconds,” he said.
Surya Kumari, Assistant Revenue officer, said the awareness programmes have been running for a month. “The benefit of the machine is that prevents confusion and provides clarity to the voter,” she said.
The BBMP has also created three apps which aim to ensure smooth elections. The three apps are the Election Quiz app which is aimed to increase the general knowledge of the public regarding elections; the Miscellaneous Criminal Case (MCC) app that will help the public report electoral crimes; and the Election Officers Directory app that holds thecontact details of BBMP officials.
The BBMP is also holding an exhibition at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad which consists of a timeline of elections in the state throughout the years.
