Punjab and Haryana High Court Rejects EVM Demand for May 26 Polls

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed petitions seeking the use of Electronic Voting Machines for local body elections in Punjab, clearing the way for voting to proceed with traditional ballot papers. The court declined to intervene, noting the petitioners had approached it too late in the process with polling scheduled for May 26.

A bench led by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu observed that the election program had progressed to an advanced stage, with the last date for withdrawal of candidature having passed on May 19. The court stated it was now too late to issue any orders altering the method of voting.

The petitions had challenged a decision by the Punjab State Election Commission to conduct the elections for 104 municipal bodies, including eight municipal corporations, using ballot papers. In court, the State Election Commission argued that even if EVMs were made available, a logistical process of 15 to 18 days would be required for preparation and deployment, making a switch impractical with less than a week remaining. The commission’s counsel also noted that EVMs dispatched from Rajasthan on Thursday morning had not yet reached Chandigarh as of the hearing.