General Election to the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi- Use of Electronic Voting Machines and VVPAT.

No. 576/3/EVM/2020/SDR-Vol.I
Dated: 14^th  January,2020

To,

The Chief Electoral Officer

NCT of Delhi

 Subject: -General Election to the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi- Use of Electronic Voting Machines and VVPAT.

 Sir,

I am directed to enclose herewith the Commission’s Direction dated  14^thJanuary, 2020, regarding use of Electronic Voting Machines and VVPAT at the current General Election to the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi. The Direction may be published in the Official Gazette of NCT of Delhi immediately.

2.         I am further directed to invite your attention to the Rules 49A, 49B, 49P and 49T(2) of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, relating to the designs of voting machines, form and language(s) of the ballot paper on the balloting unit, design and language of tendered ballot paper and the manner of sealing of voting machines after the poll. The related instruction in this regard contained in the Chapter on‘Postal Ballot Papers and Ballot Papers for Voting Machines’, in Returning Officers’ Handbook, 2019edition may kindly be followed. Attention is also invited to the instructions regarding use of VVPAT system and sealing of the paper slip after counting is completed.

3         The above mentioned instructions may be brought to the notice of the Returning Officers of the Constituencies concerned for their information and compliance.

4.         The aforesaid decision of the Commission may also be given wide publicity.

5.         As regards counting of votes, your attention is invited to the provisions of Rules 50 to 54A, 60 to 66A and 55C to 57C of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, and also the Commission’s detailed directions and instructions relating to counting of votes as contained in the Returning Officers’ Handbook, 2019 and the other supplementary instructions issued on the subject, from time to time.  The Returning Officers should be instructed to follow the said directions and instructions scrupulously.

6.      Kindly acknowledge receipt and confirm action taken.

Yours faithfully,

            (Abhishek Tiwari)

 Under Secretary

           
---------------------------

To be published in the Official Gazette of State Government of NCT of Delhi

ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA

Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi – 110001

Dated: 14^thJanuary, 2020

DIRECTION

            No.576/3/EVM/2020/SDR-Vol.I:- Whereas, Section 61A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, provides that the giving and recording of votes by Voting Machines in such manner as may be prescribed, may be adopted in such constituency or constituencies as the Election Commission of India may, having regard to the circumstances of each case, specify; and

2.         Whereas, as per the proviso to Rule 49A of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, a Printer with a drop box of such design, as may be approved by the Election Commission of India, may also be attached to voting machine for printing a paper trail of the vote, in such constituency or constituencies or parts thereof as the Election Commission of India may direct; and

3.         Whereas, the Commission has considered the circumstances in all the Constituencies for theGeneral Election to the Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi announced by the Commission’s Press Note No. ECI/PN/4/2020 dated 6^th January, 2020 ,and is satisfied that sufficient number of Electronic Voting Machines and Printers for printing Paper Trail [Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail(VVPAT)] are available for taking the poll in all the Assembly Constituencies of NCT of Delhi, the polling personnel are well trained in efficient handling of the Electronic Voting Machines and Printers for Paper Trail (hereafter referred to as ‘VVPAT Printers’) and the electors are also fully conversant with the operation of the Electronic Voting Machines and the VVPAT  Printers;

 4.         Now, therefore, the Election Commission of India, in exercise of its powers under the said Section 61A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and Rule 49A of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, hereby specifies all the Assembly Constituencies of NCT of Delhi for the general election to the Legislative Assembly notified on 14-01-2020as theconstituencies in which the votes,shall be given and recorded by means of Electronic Voting Machines and  VVPAT printers in the manner prescribed, under the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, and the supplementary instructions issued by the Commission from time to time on the subject.

  5.         The Commission also hereby approves the design of the Electronic Voting Machine and the Printer with the drop box (the VVPAT Printers) as developed by the Bharat Electronics Ltd., Bangalore and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd., Hyderabad, which shall be attached to the said machines, to be used for the giving and recording of votes in all the Constituencies.

By Order,

 (N.T.BHUTIA)
 Secretary