Why some Haryana EVMs showed 99% charge after counting

Jairam Ramesh, Congress wide caput in-charge of communications, said that immoderate Congress candidates had flagged that the enactment was winning connected EVMs with 60-70% artillery charge, but losing connected EVMs showing 99% artillery charge. Later that day, successful a property conference, Ramesh said that the enactment could not judge the canvass results.

A delegation of Congress leaders met the EC connected October 9 to convey its concerns, and submitted an updated memorandum connected October 11. The complaints contained allegations of EVM tampering, and successful 1 case, replacement of the power units. Congress’ superior question: however could the EVM artillery inactive beryllium astatine 99% aft polling and counting?

How did the EC respond?

After seeking reports from each Returning Officer (RO) and the Haryana Chief Electoral Officer, the EC responded to Congress’ allegations connected Tuesday successful a missive to enactment president Mallikarjun Kharge. In this letter, the EC categorically denied Congress’ “baseless” allegations, which it said had the imaginable to origin “turbulence”.

The EC said that the ROs of each 26 constituencies successful which Congress candidates had filed complaints did not find grounds of immoderate wrongdoing. It said that these ROs had besides recorded the beingness of the Congress candidates oregon their representatives during important processes pertaining to EVMs — from their commissioning six to 8 days earlier polling and the installment of caller batteries successful EVMs’ power units, to the sealing of the EVMs aft polling and counting.

The EC besides updated the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) conception connected its website to code immoderate questions raised by Congress. This, for the precise archetypal time, has brought to the nationalist domain details regarding the batteries utilized successful EVMs, the crushed for this choice, and what the artillery percent connected EVMs’ show units means.

Choice of alkaline cells: The power portion of the EVM and the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) some usage non-rechargeable alkaline cells arsenic their powerfulness source. These superior cells are antithetic from the secondary oregon rechargeable cells utilized successful devices similar mobile phones, that request repeated charging. The EVM power portion has a powerfulness battalion of 5 single-use alkaline cells which person a shelf-life of 5 years, portion the VVPAT has 30 specified cells. The strategy is designed to usage powerfulness packs of 5.5 volts (V) to 8.2V.

Reason for choice: Since the EVM is simply a stand-alone portion meant to relation without outer powerfulness source, it was decided to not to usage rechargeable cells. Moreover, alkaline batteries tin run successful utmost temperatures and are reliable, giving a gradual alteration successful voltage output. The EC said that these types of cells are often utilized successful portable electronics, exigency powerfulness back-ups for aesculapian devices, subject radios, and GPS systems.

Why EVM showed 99% complaint aft polling: The EC clarified that the 99% shown connected the show of the power portion does not mean that the artillery complaint is really astatine 99%. When the artillery voltage drops betwixt 8.2V and 7.4V, the show shows “99%”. It is lone erstwhile it drops beneath 7.4V that the existent artillery beingness is displayed. At a voltage beneath 5.8V, the show flashes a “change battery” sign, and beneath 5.5V, the EVM stops moving (although stored information remains intact).

The powerfulness battalion of the power portion “is capable to conscionable the requirements of powerfulness depletion of the EVM during canvass time and counting day,” the EC said.

“The voltage falls precise gradually erstwhile the capableness is precocious but falls rapidly erstwhile the artillery capableness reduces beneath a threshold. In lawsuit of lighter existent load similar with a azygous ballot portion and little than 1,000 votes being cast, the artillery existent drain is debased and output voltage whitethorn not driblet beneath 7.4V,” the EC said, explaining wherefore immoderate EVMs whitethorn person displayed 99% artillery beingness adjacent aft counting. The EVM powerfulness battalion tin enactment up to 4 ballot units and 1 power unit, successful which upto 2,000 votes tin beryllium formed successful total, the EC FAQ says.

The EC said that the EVM does not devour immoderate powerfulness during the agelong retention play dissimilar mobile phones, which stay connected to mobile towers irrespective of whether they are successful use, and frankincense spot a continuous drain of the battery.

Any artillery alteration successful an EVM is done lone successful the beingness of a candidate’s polling agents, and is recorded successful a prescribed form, the EC said.