EVMs are tamper-proof: Election Commission amid questions about voting machines credibility

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Tuesday (November 10) said that EVMs are absolutely tamper-proof and robust, adding that their integrity has been proven many times. The poll body said that counting is not slow and adds that postal ballots received till 8 am will be counted.

"It has been clarified time and again that EVMs are robust and tamper-proof. Supreme Court upheld integrity of EVMs more than once. EC had also offered EVM challenge in 2017. Integrity of EVMs is without any doubt and merits no further clarification," Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain was quoted as saying by ANI. 

The poll panel added that counting of votes for the Bihar assembly elections will take longer than usual and continue till late in the night because of 63 per cent increase in the number of EVMs. 

Briefing reporters in the national capital as the counting progressed in Bihar, EC officials said over 1 crore votes were counted till around 1.30 pm out of nearly 4.16 crore votes polled in the three-phase elections.

The official said the counting has been 'glitch-free' so far.

To ensure social distancing norms put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission had increased the number of polling stations from nearly 65,000 in the 2015 assembly polls to 1.06 lakh. This meant an increase in the number of electronic voting machines as well.