New Rules for Handling Election Machines in India, Informs ECI 

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has introduced new rules for managing and storing election machines, following the Supreme Court’s directive on April 26. The Supreme Court ordered that the Symbol Loading Units (SLU), which input candidates’ names and symbols into the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines, must now be sealed and stored in a secure room with electronic voting machines (EVMs) for 45 days after election results are announced.

Previously, these SLUs were given to local election officials by engineers from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) or the ECI just before voting. The SLUs were then returned to the engineers the day after the elections.

The ECI stated that new protocols would start on May 1, as per the Supreme Court’s requirements. They have instructed State Chief Electoral Officers to prepare the necessary facilities for safely handling and storing the SLUs with EVMs. Each assembly constituency will have two to four containers ready for storing SLUs, depending on their needs.

This decision also opens the door for checking the micro-controllers in EVMs at the request of candidates who finish second or third in the elections. The EVMs and VVPAT slips, along with SLUs, must be kept for 45 days post-election. This period allows for any legal challenges to the election results, during which the courts might review the machines and paper trails.