New Delhi, October 26: The voting for Bihar Assembly Elections for 243 constituencies will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7. This is the first assembly election to be held amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The counting of votes and results will be announced on November 10, the Election Commission said. The first time voters may be wondering as to how to cast their voter and how does an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) work? What are the functions of a Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT)? Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 Phase 1 Dates & Schedule: Voting on October 28, Results to be Declared on November 10.

The upcoming polls in Bihar will be conducted through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). The EVMs were introduced in 1982 and have been in use to conduct both general and assembly elections.

What is EVM and VVPAT?

The Electronic Voting Machines, popularly known as EVMs, comes with two parts - a control unit with the polling officer and a balloting unit inside the voting compartment for voters to record their votes. These units are joined together by a cable.  The control unit of the EVM is kept with the polling officer while the balloting unit is kept within the voting compartment for electors to cast their votes.

The VVPAT, which means the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail, is a machine that is used in elections to verify that the citizen’s vote has been correctly placed.

How to Vote Using EVM and VVPAT in Bihar Assembly Elections 2020:

  1. When a person enters the polling booth, go to the polling officer first, who will verify your identity. The voter can use the Voter ID or any of the valid documents with them.

  2. Once the documents are verified, the voter can move on to the other officer, who will mark your finger with the indelible ink, which shows that the person is eligible and cleared to vote.

  3. The voter can then move on to the final officer, who will take the voter's signature to cross your name off the electoral roll. Once this is done, the person can move on to vote.

  4. The balloting unit consists of an EVM to cast the vote and a VVPAT machine to confirm your vote.

  5. If a person wants to cast the vote, select your choice from the list of the political parties on the device and press the blue button next to it.

  6. When the voter presses the button, an LED on the EVM will glow red and the VVPAT machine will generate a slip showing the vote you have cast.

  7. Once this process is done, this means that the person has cast his vote after which you may leave the polling booth.

  8. If there is any inconsistency between your selection and the VVPAT's slip, go to the presiding officer to lodge a complaint.

In Bihar, the ruling NDA in the politically-crucial state will face a challenge from the RJD-Congress alliance, though uncertainty still prevails over the composition of the two main political blocs and about a number of smaller parties as to which way they will go in this battle of alliances.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 26, 2020 12:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).