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New Delhi: Following the Supreme Court order, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued a new protocol for handling and storing ‘Symbol Loading Units’ (SLUs) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). The EC has implemented this new protocol in response to the directions given by the Supreme Court in its judgment on April 26.
the Election Authority said in a statement that instructions have been instructed to create the necessary infrastructure and provision to implement new protocols for the operation and storage of symbol loading units (SALU) to all state major electoral officers.
The Commission said, “As ordered by the Supreme Court, the revised protocols will be applicable in all cases where the symbol loading process in VVPAT is completed on or after May 1, 2024.”
Last Friday, The apex court had issued directions for sealing and storing the symbol loading units on the request of candidates who finished second and third in the election and also paved the way for verification of micro-controllers fitted in electronic voting machines (EVMs).
SLU uploads the name and election symbol of the candidates contesting on a particular seat on the VVPAT or paper trail machine. Till now, e-mails and VVPAT slips were stored for 45 days.
After the election results are declared, in these 45 days, the concerned people can challenge the election by filing an election petition in the High Court. While hearing the petition, the court can call for the EVM and VVPAT slips.
