Bye-elections to the House of the People of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka and Legislative Assemblies of various states - Use of EVM and VVPAT - regarding

Dated: 25^thMarch, 2021
4 Chaitra, Saka, 1942

DIRECTION

            No.576/3/EVM/2021/SDR-Vol.II:- 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 Election Commission has considered the circumstances in 6-Malappuram Parliamentary Constituency of Kerala, 39-Kanniyakumari Parliamentary Constituency of Tamil Nadu 23-Tirupati(SC) Parliamentary Constituency of Andhra Pradesh & 2-Belgaum Parliamentary Constituency of Karnataka, 125-Morva Hadaf(ST) Assembly Constituency of Gujarat,  13-Madhupur Assembly Constituency of Jharkhand, 47-Basavakalyan &59-Maski(ST) Assembly Constituencies of Karnataka, 55-Damoh Assembly Constituency of Madhya Pradesh, 252-Pandharpur Assembly Constituency of Maharashtra, 26-Serchhip(ST) Assembly Constituency of Mizoram, 51-Noksen(ST) Assembly Constituency of Nagaland, 110-Pipili Assembly Constituency of Odisha,179-Sahara, 24-Sujangarh(SC) & 175-Rajsamand Assembly Constituencies of Rajasthan, 87-Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly Constituency of Telangana and 49-Salt Assembly Constituency of Uttarakhand,.announced vide the Election Commission’s Press Note No. ECI/PN/17/2021 dated 26^thFebruary, 2021 and No. ECI/PN/28/2021 dated 16^th March, 2021and is satisfied that sufficient number of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Printers for printing Paper Trail [Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail(VVPAT)] are available for taking the poll in above mentioned Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies, the polling personnel are well trained in efficient handling of EVMs and ‘VVPAT Printers’ and the electors are also fully conversant with the operation of the EVMs 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 6-Malappuram Parliamentary Constituency of Kerala, 39-Kanniyakumari Parliamentary Constituency of Tamil Nadu 23-Tirupati(SC) Parliamentary Constituency of Andhra Pradesh & 2-Belgaum Parliamentary Constituency of Karnataka, 125-Morva Hadaf(ST) Assembly Constituency of Gujarat,  13-Madhupur Assembly Constituency of Jharkhand, 47-Basavakalyan &59-Maski(ST) Assembly Constituencies of Karnataka, 55-Damoh Assembly Constituency of Madhya Pradesh, 252-Pandharpur Assembly Constituency of Maharashtra, 26-Serchhip(ST) Assembly Constituency of Mizoram, 51-Noksen(ST) Assembly Constituency of Nagaland, 110-Pipili Assembly Constituency of Odisha, 179-Sahara,  24-Sujangarh(SC) & 175-Rajsamand Assembly Constituencies of Rajasthan, 87-Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly Constituency of Telangana and 49-Salt Assembly Constituency of Uttarakhand,.notifiedon 12-03-2021& 23-03-2021, as theconstituencies in which the votes,shall be given and recorded by means of EVMsand  VVPAT printers in the manner prescribed, under the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, and the supplementary instructions issued by the Election Commission from time to time on the subject.

5.         The Election Commission also hereby approves the design of EVMs and 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.