The Election Commission has also kept all Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the polling process in a very strong room called Vajraghar-strong room, which is used to keep the machines till the day of counting. This action supports the fact that the Election Commission has an obligation to the integrity and credibility of the voting process.
Following the end of the voting in various constituencies, the EVMs, comprising votes in all polling points, were sealed in the presence of the polling agents and polling observers. These machines were then carried with high security to specific Vajraghars, which were situated in district headquarters. The storage facilities are CCTV-monitored, and the election officials, as well as the political parties’ representatives, observe the surveillance.
The privilege to follow up on the security provisions in the Vajraghar has also been granted to the candidates and their authorized representatives. They are able to confirm seals of the EVMs, distinguish machine serial numbers, and even see the action of CCTV cameras in the storage room. The purpose of this measure is to exclude the possibility of suspicion of any manipulations and enrichments in the post-poll period.
In a further improvement to boost security, several layers of forces are employed to secure the strong rooms, such as the local police and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). The Vajraghar is highly controlled and regulated, and the logs of personnel are kept with the help of detailed information about personnel movement provided by the officials. The Election Commission has also made it clear that no unauthorized individual can be anywhere close to the storage facility until the counting day.
Vote counting will only occur after the designated waiting time, and therefore all the stakeholders, the candidates, the observers and the security officials will be aware of the safety of the machines. EVMs will be unveiled on the day of counting in front of the political representatives and under video surveillance so that the process is fair.
According to the election officials, such robust security measures are included under the standard operating procedure (SOP) that aims to instil confidence in voters in the EVM system. The application of security and its monitoring through technology has served to clear the myths of EVM tampering.
As the EVMs are securely locked in the Vajraghar, and all the parties are continuously monitoring them, the Election Commission has restated that all votes cast in it will be counted correctly and fairly, and the real voice of the people is reflected in the outcome.
