The Supreme Court asks the Centre and the Election Commission for their views on introducing “totalisers” for vote counting using EVMs. A petition also seeks directions for authorities to take steps to use totalisers in the counting process.
According to explanations cited by outlets, the proposal is designed to prevent candidates from identifying voting patterns at individual polling booths. Instead, counting would be arranged so results emerge for vote “clusters” rather than for each booth separately. Petitioners argue this could reduce incentives for candidates to infer booth-level trends during counting.
Outlets also note the case is framed around concerns such as post-poll behaviour, including whether booth-level clarity could contribute to tensions after polling. Different reports focus on the mechanism and its stated aim of obscuring booth-level patterns, while others emphasize that the petitioners’ broader rationale includes mitigating risks of post-poll violence. The court’s next steps hinge on the government and election authorities’ responses to the proposal.
