Election Commission Introduces EVM Verification Fee Post Supreme Court Ruling

Election Commission Sets Fee for EVM Verification Amidst Polling Season

In a significant move, the Election Commission of India has established a fee structure for the verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), following a recent Supreme Court directive. Candidates who finish second or third in the elections and wish to challenge the results by verifying the EVMs will be required to pay Rs 47,200 per EVM set.

An EVM set comprises a Ballot Unit, Control Unit, and the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). This decision comes in the wake of the counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections, with the Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim assembly polls already concluded and the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha assembly elections underway.

The Supreme Court, addressing concerns about potential EVM tampering, deemed such suspicions as baseless and upheld the current electronic system over the paper ballot method on April 26. However, the court also provided a recourse for candidates placing second and third to request a microcontroller chip verification in five percent of EVMs per assembly constituency, subject to a fee payable to the Election Commission.

The fee, as per the manufacturers BEL and ECIL, is set at Rs 40,000 (plus 18 percent GST) for each EVM set’s “check and verification.” The Election Commission’s SOP outlines additional administrative costs, including labor, CCTV coverage, electricity, videography, and other operational expenses at the district election officer level.

In an effort to make the verification process more accessible, the Election Commission has decided to absorb these administrative costs as part of the election expenditure, which will be borne by the central or state government. Consequently, administrative charges will not be levied on the applicants.

For the fiscal year 2024-25, the total charges for EVM verification, inclusive of GST, amount to Rs 47,200, valid until March 31, 2025. The verification process will be limited to a maximum of 20 ballot units, 10 control units, and 10 VVPATs per candidate.

In cases where both eligible candidates opt for the EVM check, they may each select 2.5 percent of the control units, ballot units, and VVPATs for verification. Candidates must submit their application for EVM verification within seven days following the declaration of election results, as per the administrative SOP issued on June 1.

This development marks a critical step in ensuring the integrity of the electoral process, providing transparency and a method for candidates to address their concerns regarding EVM operations.