'Don't erase EVM data, reduce cost for seeking verification': Supreme Court tells EC

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) about the Standard Operating Procedure for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) after polls are over. The query was raised in response to a petition which sought that data from EVMs should not be deleted even after the counting of votes is over.

The apex court sought the reply of the poll body to an application filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) seeking directions to the ECI to allow verification of the burnt memory and Symbol Loading Units of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The Court also told the ECI to not erase or reload the data in the EVMs while carrying out the verification.

The Supreme Court bench- led by Chief Justice of India Sanjeev Khanna- told the poll watchdog not to delete any data from EVMs nor reload any data from the voting machines.

During the hearing, CJI Khanna told Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, ECI's counsel, that the directions in the April 2024 judgment did not intend to erase or reload the polling data in the EVMs. The bench added that it only intended for the EVM Machine to be verified and checked by an engineer from the EVM manufacturing company after the polling was conducted.

Additionally, the top court asked for information from the Election Commission about the process of burning EVM memory and microcontroller after elections are completed.