India: Election Commission gets proposal to hold 2012 Uttar Pradesh polls in February | The Times of India

The possibility of early assembly election gains ground in UP with the Election Commission of India saying that it is not averse to examine the suggestions made by two political parties for holding the election in the month of February.

This was announced by chief election commissioner (CEC) SY Quraishi here on Thursday at a press conference held after a two-day interactive session by the commission with government functionaries and political representatives in connection with the poll-preparedness in the state. The Mayawati government is due to complete its tenure on May 13, 2012.

India: Electronic Voting Machines – Field trial of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system in five locations in India | All Voices

The Commission vide its Press Note dated 14th June, 2011, announced the details of the conduct of field trial of the VVPAT system in simulated election in the districts of Leh (Jammu & Kashmir), Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala),Cherrapunjee i.e. East Khasi Hills (Meghalaya), East Delhi District (NCT of Delhi) and Jaisalmer ( Rajasthan).

In wider fulfillment of the objectives of the field trial, the Commission has requested the National and State Parties to extend necessary cooperation by getting involved in the trial process actively and also witness the trial in order to have a first hand experience of the system.

India: Shillong to host first test for advanced Electronic Voting Machines | DNA

None of the existing MLAs will feel the threat of losing their seats even as candidates from all parties will be out on the electoral battlefield to woo voters as ballots will be cast in Cherrapunjee on July 26.

Confused? This will just be a mock polling exercise to be conducted in Sohra and Shella constituencies of Cherrapunjee just to test the efficacy of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system, a new technology which verifies the recording of votes in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

India: Citizens to decide fate of e-voting before Mumbai civic polls | Express India

Even as tenders have been invited for creating the online portal and supporting data systems to enable e-voting in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections in February next year, the process will be finalised only after citizens give their go-ahead.

The State Election Commission’s (SEC) plan to introduce e-voting met with some reservations because of which the mega experiment will be first carried out on a demo basis before seeking public opinion on taking it forward.

India: District Election Officer says electronic voting machines were not tampered | DNA

The deputy district election officer (DEO), Apurva Wankhede, has refuted allegations of political parties that some of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) were tampered with during the counting of votes.

The election for the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Chatuhshrungi Mandir ward’s by-election was held on Sunday. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, Congress and an independent candidate had made the allegations.

India: Getting ready for the big day | Hindustan Times

Elections are foundation stones of any democratic country. India is the largest democracy in the world and conducting general elections in India is probably the largest event management its of kind.

The Election Commission of India is a permanent independent constitutional body vested with the powers and responsibility for superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for and conduct of all elections to Parliament and to Legislatures of the States and Union Territories and of elections to the offices of President and Vice-President held under article 324 of the Constitution.

India: India’s new democracy institute opens doors to Kenyans | Mangalorean.Com

The newly established Indian Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIDEM) will be sharing India’s experience of conducting elections for six decades with its very first batch of students: election officials from Kenya.

The institute will be formally opened with a special five-day training programme for the Kenyan officials from June 27. Eight Kenyans, including an Election Commissioner (Kenya has eight Election Commissioners), will participate in the first training programme in New Delhi.

India: Election Commission of India Invites Media to Witness Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail | ABC Live

The Election Commission of India on Tuesday has invited Indian Media to witness the purview of the Electronic Voting Machine & Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) ay its office in New Delhi.

As per the ECI, After General Elections to Lok Sabha 2009 doubts about the tamperability of EVMs have raised in Media. In order to discuss EVMs & other Election issues, the ECI had a meeting of all political parties on 4th October,2010

The parties expressed satisfaction on the EVM but several parties recommended that the Commission might consider of introducing VVPAT for further transparency in the system.

India: Election Commission of India unveils institute to train poll personnel from struggling democracies | The Times of India

Living up to its billing as the largest democracy, Election Commission of India has now set up an institute to train personnel from struggling democracies who are seeking its help to conduct polls.

With requests from a host of countries to train poll officials, Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi and Kenya’s Election Commissioner Ken Nyaundi jointly inaugurated the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIDEM) on Friday.

The first course, for poll officials from Kenya, will begin on June 27. Besides training officials associated with elections at home and abroad, IIDEM will also run courses for mediapersons.

India: Electronic Voting Machine scan to clear doubts | The Telegraph

With several political parties voicing doubts on the functioning of electronic voting machines, the Election Commission has decided to conduct a field trial of the Vote Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system in five locations in the country, including Cherrapunjee, by the end of July.

The VVPAT will ensure that the voting machine prints a paper ballot or facsimile, which can be verified by the voter. This audit trail will help the electorate examine how their votes were cast and tabulated.

Brazil: Indian Voting Machines With Paper Trails to Be Field-tested | PCWorld

India’s Election Commission plans to test in July new electronic voting machines (EVMs) that will offer a voter a verifiable paper trail, following criticism from political parties and activists that the machines could be tampered with. But it is unclear whether the paper records of the vote will be discarded or saved after the voter has checked if his vote has been properly recorded. Some local newspaper reports in April said that the paper records would be destroyed after the voter had checked his vote.

The paper records should be saved and used in a recount or if any other dispute arises, said Hari Prasad, the security researcher who along with other researchers released a video last year that they said demonstrated vulnerabilities in the EVMs.

India: Opposition to raise Electronic Voting Machine issue | The Telegraph Calcutta

The Opposition has decided to raise the issue of using electronic voting machine (EVM) at the daylong 7th Regional Consultation for Electoral Reforms here tomorrow. The regional consultation, organised by the Centre and the Election Commission on how to strengthen the electoral system, will be held at NEDFi House here.

The AGP and the BJP will make a strong case for its outright abolition at a gathering which would include Union law minister Veerappa Moily and chief election commissioner S.Y. Quraishi.

… AGP’s Arun Sarma … said they want the EVMs replaced as anything “manmade” can be “tampered with”.

Brazil: India will try out the Brazilian model of voting in future | DNA

The technology called Voter Verifiable Paper Trail (VVPT), a supplement to the existing EVM system, will be piloted in some polling stations in near future.

“We’ll experiment VVPT in 200 polling stations in places with extreme weather conditions like Ladakh in the presence of all political parties. If they approve, this can be a reality in future,” chief election commissioner SY Quraishi told journalists at a press conference after emerging from the 7th Regional Consultation for Electoral Reforms held in Guwahati on Sunday.

Brazil: Brazil makeover for Indian polls | Hindustan Times

The Election Commission is set to add a bit of Samba to Indian elections. The seventh and final regional consultation for electoral reforms ended in Guwahati on Sunday with the EC voting for the Brazilian model of conducting elections. The technology –Voter Verifiable Paper Trail (VVPT) – used by the South American country will be tried out in 200 polling stations across India soon.

VVPT, chief election commissioner SY Quraishi said, will supplement the existing electronic voting machine or EVM. “We have decided to try out the VVPT in polling stations experiencing extreme weather conditions such as Ladakh. The experiment will be done in presence of representatives of all political parties. If they approve, the system can be a reality,” he said.

India: Chief Minister raises pitch for ‘D’ voters

Guwahati, June 12: Chief minister Tarun Gogoi today raised the pitch for restoring the voting rights of genuine Indian citizens dubbed doubtful (D) voters, drawing the attention of both the Election Commission and the Centre about the plight of such individuals.

During his candid and no-holds barred speech at the inaugural session of the seventh and final consultation on electoral reforms held here this morning, Gogoi said the matter should not be kept hanging. “Some mechanism has to be evolved so that those who are genuine Indian citizens get the right to vote,” he said.

India: Indo-Nepal election management pact signed | The Hindu

A Memorandum of Understanding for mutual cooperation in election management between India and Nepal was signed by Chief Election Commissioner of India S.Y. Quraishi and his Nepal counterpart Neel Kantha Uprety in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

The agreement covers exchange of knowledge/experience in the electoral process, exchange of material and expertise, training of personnel, production and dissemination of materials, voting technology and conducting voters’ education and awareness programmes.

India: India, Nepal Ink Pact to Boost Election Management | outlookindia.com

Amid efforts by Kathmandu to establish a multi-party democracy, India and Nepal today inked a key pact to deepen cooperation in the field of election management and boost voters participation.

India’s Chief Election Commissioner Dr. S.Y. Quraishi, who is on an official three-day visit to Nepal, and his Nepalese counterpart Neel Kantha Uprety signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for exchange of knowledge, experience and expertise relating to the electoral process and systems.

India: Indian Election Commission shares polls expertise with Nepal |The Himalayan Times

Preventing the misuse of money to influence voters during elections is one of the biggest impediment to holding free and fair polls, the chief of India’s Election Commission said today.

Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, who is in Kathmandu on the invitation of his Nepali counterpart, Neel Kantha Upreti, shared his experience of conducting Indian elections at a programme organised by Indian Embassy and BP Koirala foundation, titled ‘Managing Indian Election: Sharing experience and prospectus for Co-operation’.

India: Activist goes to court for no-vote option | The Times of India

An activist has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay high court seeking directions to include a new panel for the negative vote on Electronic Voting Machines ( EVMs).

Dr Mahesh Bedekar feels this will allow voters to voice their dissent about the candidate or the party through the ballot. “Under the present election rules, a voter who does not want to cast his ballot to the listed candidates can do so by filling up form 17 A of the Election Commission. The presiding officer has to be requested to issue the said form and the voter can record his negative vote in the presence of the election staff. It is contrary to rules which provide for absolute secrecy in voting,” Dr Bedekar said.

India: Plea to make provision for ‘negative vote’ in Indian Electronic Voting Machines | Business Line

A [Public Interest Litigation] PIL has urged the Bombay High Court to direct the Election Commission to introduce electoral reforms by making a provision for “negative vote” in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) during elections.

The PIL filed by Thane resident Mahesh Bedekar also urged the court to ensure that secrecy of the “negative vote” is maintained during elections as it is not being done under the existing rules.

India: Electronic Voting Machine with paper trail to be tested in 200 places in India | The Times of India

A prototype of an Electronic Voting Machine with a verifiable paper trail has been developed and will be tested in 200 places across the country by the middle of July.

Election Commission sources say the new EVM will be tested in extreme conditions — from the freezing climate of Ladakh to the high temperature of Jaisalmer and the humid sea coast. The testing process will get over by the end of August. The sources said the EC is likely to approach political parties to witness the testing process across the country. “Once we get the results, the Commission would decide if such EVMs can be used in elections,” a source said.

India: Bar association polls: status quo ordered on Indian Electronic Voting Machines | The Hindu

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Election Committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association to maintain status quo in respect of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in the May 11 election of office-bearers for 2011-12.

… It is thus imperative that the EVMs used in the election of SCBA be sealed and kept intact, they said and sought a direction that the sealing of EVMs be held in their presence.

India: Voter ID registration drive in India from June 6 | The Times of India

The district administration has geared up to launch the voter ID registration drive ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections to be held next year. Resident Welfare Associations (RWA) and NGOs will also be roped in to raise awareness among voters about the importance of the voter ID cards.

The drive will start from June 6 and residents can register themselves at the nearest election booth. District magistrate, Deepak Aggarwal stated that people can approach the nearest booth with the essential documents so that the Election Commission directives are fulfilled.

Egypt: Indian Chief Election Commissioner says Egypt can’t trust imported voting machines can’t be trusted | Financial Express

After the revolution in Tahrir Square, Egyptian authorities consulted India’s Election Commission for help in conducting parliamentary polls in the country, only to get cautious advice from chief election commissioner (CEC) SY Quraishi. He asked his Egyptian counterpart to not import electronic voting machines (EVMs) from anywhere and get these manufactured domestically. Imported machines, however…

India: AGP blames machine manipulation for defeat | Hindustan Times

Assam’s beleaguered main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on Friday blamed “manipulation of electronic voting machines (EVM) by the ruling Congress party” for its rout in the assembly elections even as the Congress got a decisive mandate for a third successive term. “We knew the Congress would do something and they did so by manipulating…