EVM stall a big draw among tourists

Shimla, December 28

The district administration set up a stall of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) at the ongoing Winter Carnival at the Ridge Shimla. The stall has drawn a large number of curious visitors over the past four days. The tourists have been putting up queries regarding voting process using these machines.

Sahil Chauhan, an attendant at the stall, said, “In the past four days, we have given demonstrations to more than 1,200 persons, a majority of them being tourists from different parts of the country. Tourists, irrespective of their age group or gender, have curiously been generating queries at our counter since the carnival started on December 25. Not only have they shown interest in watching live demonstrations, but also gained a hands-on experience by casting a vote on the EVM.”

“While many tourists did not know about or hadn’t seen the VVPAT machine, others were not aware of the process of casting a vote on the EVM. We explained to them the entire process of casting a vote on the EVM and also asked them to check the VVPAT machine,” Chauhan said.

Asked as to what could be the reason that the tourists are showing an interest in the stall, the attendant said, “The approaching Lok Sabha elections could perhaps be one of the reasons. Groups of tourists have been generating queries regarding the voting process. The stall has been installed to spread awareness regarding casting of votes using EVMs. The objective is to foster voter confidence, dispel uncertainties and promote active participation in the electoral process.”