The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday brought out a detailed protocol for the handling and storage of Symbol Loading Units (SLU) in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order of April 26.
The apex court had issued directions to seal and store SLUs in a container, and store them in a strongroom along with the electronic voting machines (EVMs), for at least 45 days after the declaration of results.
The SLU uploads the name and symbol of the candidates contesting a particular seat on Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) or paper trail machines.
The SLUs had till now been handed over to local poll officials by engineers of the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) or the ECI before voting. A day after the poll, the SLUs were returned to the engineers of the two public sector undertakings that manufacture the ballot unit, the control unit, and the VVPAT, along with the SLUs.
The ECI in a statement on Wednesday said that it had directed all State Chief Electoral Officers to create the necessary infrastructure for the handling and storage of the SLUs in EVMs in accordance with the new protocols being implemented from May 1 as mandated by the SC.
“Enough number of SLU containers, generally two-four per Assembly constituency, are to be kept ready in advance based on the requirements,” the ECI said.
The revised protocols are applicable in all cases of completion of the symbol loading process in VVPATs undertaken on or after May 1.
The top court had also paved the way for verification of micro-controllers embedded in EVMs, based on the requests of candidates who stand second and third in the elections.
Till now, the EVMs and the VVPAT slips were stored for 45 days after the results were declared. In these 45 days following the declaration of an election result, people can file an election petition in the concerned High Court, challenging the election. Courts can call for the EVM and VVPAT slips while hearing the plea.
