The Supreme Court has requested a response from the Election Commission on a petition challenging its decision to increase the maximum number of voters at polling stations from 1200 to 1500. The court asked for a detailed affidavit explaining the entire process within three weeks. CJI Sanjiv Khanna's bench has inquired about an EVM’s capability to manage up to 1500 votes, questioning how the Commission plans to meet the needs of a polling center with more than 1500 registered voters.
They have also asked how a machine, which can handle only 45 votes per hour, manages to accommodate all 1500 votes during the time window of 6 AM to 5 PM. Representing the Election Commission, Senior Advocate and former ASG Maninder Singh argued that issuing a notice in this instance is unnecessary.
This limit of a maximum of 1500 voters per booth has been in place since 2019, and there have been no complaints so far. The reality remains, what if everyone arrives at 3 PM to vote? Early hours tend to have no queues or congestion. EVMs have faced numerous allegations over time, which continue to this day.
Regarding the possibility of 1500 votes within 10 to 11 hours, any voter present within the polling center's limits during designated hours will be allowed to cast their vote, regardless of how long it takes. Sometimes, voting extends till midnight, depending on voter turnout at the booth within the set time limit.
