Today, On 16th May, the Supreme Court questioned the Election Commission of India about the delay in publishing total votes polled within 48 hours of polling. The court urged transparency and timely dissemination of election data. The ECI’s response is awaited. This development showcases the judiciary’s role in ensuring electoral transparency. The ECI has been directed to respond to the petition seeking disclosure of final authenticated voter turnout data within 48 hours of polling. This request is in light of concerns over the substantial increase in final voter turnout data compared to initial estimates, raising questions about the correctness of the data. The Supreme Court has given the ECI a week to file its reply, with the case set for consideration on May 24.
Today (10th May): The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has petitioned the Indian Supreme Court for transparent disclosure of voter turnout data in the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024. A substantial increase in the final voter turnout figures and delays in their announcement prompted the plea, emphasizing the importance of transparent electoral processes to ensure fair elections.
Today 1st April,The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Election Commission of India in response to a plea for thorough verification of Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips. The petition challenges the current guideline of sequential VVPAT verification and advocates for matching every EVM vote with its corresponding VVPAT slip. Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta have grouped the plea with other pending cases regarding EVM and VVPAT. The petitioner, Arun Kumar Agrawal, argues for faster verification and physical deposit of VVPAT slips, emphasizing the need for accurate ballot counting. This comes amidst concerns over discrepancies between EVM and VVPAT vote counts. The matter has been the subject of extensive debate and previous petitions regarding VVPAT verification.