Slum-dwellers give EVMs, VVPAT the thumbs-up

BENGALURU: The use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) equipped with verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) systems during the assembly elections may have been touted as another step towards ensuring a transparent polling process. Residents of a city slum on Monday found the system intimidating, but soon began to see the merits.A team of BBMP officials took the slum residents of Anjaneya Block, Dattatreya ward, Gandhinagar assembly constituency, through the rudiments of how to vote on the new system, and verify if their ballot has been properly registered. This was the first exercise in the city by the BBMP to get slum-dwellers acquainted with the VVPAT system. On Sunday, the civic body had conducted similar exercises at Lalbagh West Gate, Cubbon Park, JP Park in Mathikere and Sankey Tank in Malleswaram.“We were actually intimidated by the gadget at first sight, not knowing how to use it. But now we know it is easy. More importantly, we don’t need to seek anybody’s help and getting cheated,” said housewife Jayalakshmamma, 58, who took part in the demo.Chikkathayamma, 63, said the greatest advantage of the new system is that she will walk out of the polling station knowing fully well who has got her vote. “In the last elections, I voted on the machine but I was not sure of what I did. But now I know how the machine works and will vote with confidence,” she said.Revenue inspector Nanjappa H, who led the BBMP officials, said residents were not just curious about the exercise but also serious, as they learnt how to go about it. “The enthusiasm is palpable. They were keen to learn and asked questions,” said Nanjappa. He said over 250 people took part in the first demo at Anjaneya Block, and repeated on an adjacent street.Nanjappa said the crowds were certainly more than those seen at Sunday camps. “The drive will go on till April30. In the beginning, we are focusing mainly on uneducated voters, especially from slum areas,” said S G Ravindra, BBMP special commissioner. Ravindra said 120 officials designated as sector officers have been given special training to educate people on using EVMs and VVPATs.NO SELFIES IN BOOTHSThe EC has banned the use of mobile phones in polling stations. “We will direct returning officers not to allow photography in stations,” CEO Sanjiv Kumar told reporters on Monday after a one-day workshop for journalists. Kumar said it is an offence to capture a picture of a VVPAT in a polling station, because of the secrecy requirements in Section 66 of the Representation of People Act.