Meghalaya to test humidity resistance of VVPAT with EVMs

Meghalaya is all set to test the humidity resistance of the new improved Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) along with EVMs in a mock poll scheduled for Saturday at Sohra, official sources said today.

The Election Commission is conducting the mock poll at Sohra in East Khasi Hills district and its surrounding areas on that day to check the efficacy of the new system in extreme weather conditions, the sources said.

Sohra, famously known as Cherrapunji, receives an average rainfall of 12,000 mm in a year and is about 56 km south of here.

The simulated election was necessitated again after several political parties had requested the Commission that the possibility of introducing Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail along with EVMs may be examined properly.

Training for all poll officials have completed today and they would be leaving for their respective polling station tomorrow, East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Goyal told PTI.

A three-member team from the EC will oversee the performance of the system of which a member of the Technical Expert Committee of the EC would also be part of the exercise.

Voting begins at 7 AM to 4 PM on Saturday in 28 polling stations spread over two constituencies – Shella and Sohra. The votes will be counted on August 27.

VVPAT is a system attached to an EVM that allows a voter to verify that his/her vote was cast correctly. This mechanism would detect possible election fraud or mal-functioning of an EVM.