BENGALURU: Some Bengaloreans have complained that they went to the polling booths but they heard no beep sound as they pressed the blue button to cast their vote. They suspected that there was something wrong with the EVMs and they pressed the blue button the second time but nothing happened. They informed the election officials that the system was not working and after a while they heard the beep sound.
One person who had a similar experience has complained to the Election Commission of India. Vincent Pinto, who had gone to vote at St Ann's School, Cambridge Road, Ulsoor, said, "When the third election officer who is supposed to activate the EVM after the finger is inked did not do it. I simply trusted him when he said go and went to the EVM point and pressed the blue button. I was waiting for the beep and the VVPAT for 7 seconds, but nothing happened. I did not leave, instead I raised a complaint with the election officer inside saying the EVM did not beep and he responded, 'go cast your vote,' a second time. I went again and pressed the blue button on the EVM the second time but the machine again did not beep after 7-8 seconds. I then went and complained and raised it a third time and the election official sitting there sheepishly smiled and pressed a button and I went in again and the third time I pressed the blue button and the EVM worked. I checked the VVPAT and it had registered the vote correctly. I am a 62-years-old retired electronics engineer and there were some 10-12 people who voted ahead of me, many of whom were senior citizens. Many of them voted and there was no beep sound when they voted and I can vouch for it. Looking back, this looks like a deliberate deception. Now the third election official has to activate the EVM after inking the finger. If he did not activate it after inking my finger and merely asked me to go and vote on two occasions, there seems to be something seriously wrong here."
He said, "I have formally raised this issue as a complaint with the Election Commission of India on their website.''
S Parameshwari, who went to the SBS Bandi Mutt School in Kengeri, Bangalore North Parliamentary Constituency, too did not hear the beep sound when she cast her vote. She complained to the polling officer and a sub-inspector who was on duty said the machine was working fine and told her rudely, "If you want to vote you may vote, otherwise go away.''
In another case, Shyla (name changed) went to a booth in CV Raman Nagar and cast her vote. She waited for the beep and to see the VVPAT, but nothing happened for 10-15 seconds. She pressed the blue button again, but still nothing happened. She then walked from the EVM point to the election official and complained and one of the officials got up and went and told another election officer to press a button. This time she went to the EVM and pressed the blue button and there was a beep.