Amidst continuous questions raised by opposition parties regarding the reliability of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken a significant step to enhance transparency.
Election Commission: The Election Commission has taken a major step towards making the electoral process more transparent and reliable. Considering the persistent questions about the reliability of EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines), the Commission has made significant changes to the EVM verification rules. Under these new rules, not only the winning candidate, but also the candidates who secured second and third positions, will be able to have the EVMs verified.
Candidates Can Now Conduct Mock Polls, Subject to Fee
Until now, candidates only had the option of accepting the results. However, according to the new guidelines issued by the Commission on June 17, 2025, candidates can now conduct mock polls along with EVM verification. A mock poll involves casting a few votes into the machine to check if they are being registered correctly. However, candidates will have to pay a fee for this process:
- EVM Verification Only: ₹23,600 (including 18% GST)
- EVM + Mock Poll: ₹47,200
- This amount must be paid to Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) or Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), the manufacturers of EVMs.
Full Refund in Case of Malfunction
Most importantly, if any malfunction is detected in the EVM during the verification process, the candidate will receive a full refund. Furthermore, the cost of the verification will be borne by the central or state government, depending on the type of election (Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha). Candidates must apply for EVM verification within 7 days of the announcement of election results. They can have up to 5% of the machines in each assembly constituency verified. This includes the ballot unit, control unit, and VVPAT.
The Chief Electoral Officer must send the list of verifications to the concerned companies within 15 days. This timeframe was previously 30 days, but has now been halved to make the process faster and more efficient.
Revised Rules for Video and Photo Recordings
The Election Commission has also made a significant change regarding the recording of election videos and photos. The Commission has decided that these records will now be kept for only 45 days. Previously, this time limit ranged from 6 months to 1 year. However, if an election petition is filed, the records will be kept safe until the disposal of that petition. This step has been taken to curb the misuse of videos/photos out of context on social media trends.
- Addressing Doubts, Enhancing Transparency
- The Election Commission says that these rules will:
- Provide candidates with an opportunity to resolve their doubts.
- Increase public trust in the electoral process.
- Reduce allegations and counter-allegations between political parties.
- Prevent the spread of misinformation on social media.
The Commission informed all Chief Electoral Officers of the states about this change through a letter on May 30. It also clarified that the 45-day time limit has been set due to the increasing incidents of misuse of records. A senior Election Commission official has indicated that these new rules may be implemented starting with the Bihar Assembly elections. The election process is about to begin there soon, and the Commission wants to pilot the new system there.
