Return to paper ballot ‘makes no sense’

Two former CECs say, in practical terms, idea is neither feasible nor desirable

The demand to bring back paper ballots in the next Lok Sabha elections, in place of Electronic Voting Machines, which is being pressed by major opposition parties has not found favour with two former chief election commissioners (CEC), who, however, share their opposition to a proposal for simultaneous elections, saying it cannot be “coerced”.

The former CECs say that though both the issues are theoretically in the realm of possibility, but, in practical terms, they are neither feasible nor desirable.

They were reacting to a planned move by 17 parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress, to approach the Election Commission to press for restoring the paper ballot system in view of their apprehensions over the integrity of the EVMs and the possibility of their manipulation and the failure of the VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) slips in recent elections.

V.S. Sampath, who left office in January 2015 after nearly three years at the helm of the Election Commission, said going back to paper ballots “makes no sense”.

“Nobody will accept it,” Sampath said.

He said with the introduction of VVPAT slips, which the Election Commission has announced, there is already a paper ballot system that is going to be in place.

They were reacting to a planned move by 17 parties to approach the Election Commission to press for restoring the paper ballot system.