Election News: The Supreme Court of India reserved its decision on Wednesday, April 24, on the petition regarding the verification of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs), reiterating its position that it lacks authority over election administration, which is the purview of another constitutional body.

The decision comes as phase two of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 prepares to begin on April 26.

On April 18, a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), stating that it needed clarification on certain aspects due to some confusion in the EC’s answers to its ‘frequently asked questions’ (FAQs) on EVMs.

During the hearing, India’s Supreme Court Judge Datta informed attorney Prashant Bhushan that there had been no reports of malicious application loading with the symbol. “Out of the 5% VVPATs counted, any candidate can show if there is any mismatch,” Justice Datta inquired.

“To far, there has been no report of such an incidence (a malicious application being loaded alongside the symbol). We cannot control the election, Mr. Bhushan, or any other constitutional power,” Justice Datta said.

Improving the election voting process

Justice Khanna said, “If there is room for improvement, we can absolutely make it better. The courts intervened twice: once when we ordered the use of VVPAT, and again when we boosted the verification rate from one to five percent.” The Supreme Court further stated that whenever ideas were made to improve the voting process, they always urged for a return to ballot papers.

In its defense, the Election Commission official told the Supreme Court that “each of the three units, CU, BU, and VVPAT, contains its own microcontrollers, securely housed within.” “These microcontrollers are not physically accessible.”

The order came during the Supreme Court’s hearing on a slew of petitions demanding comprehensive cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs.

One of the petitions, the NGO ‘Association for Democratic Reforms’ (ADR), requested that the poll panel reverse its 2017 decision to replace the clear glass on VVPAT machines with opaque glass through which a voter may only view the slip while the light is on for seven seconds.

The petitions also request that voters be given a canopy of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) generated by the EVM after each vote.

The VVPAT is an independent vote verification system that allows voters to determine whether their ballots were cast correctly.

Earlier this morning, the Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Dutta questioned the functionality of the microcontroller put in the EVMs, the security of the EVMs and VVPATs, and the maximum term for which the machines can be held.

Modi’s Muslim remarks spark ‘hate speech’ accusations as India’s mammoth election deepens divides

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been accused of making Islamophobic remarks during an election rally on Sunday, inciting considerable outrage among prominent Muslims and members of the opposition.

The world’s most populous country is currently in the midst of a massive weeks-long election in which Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is widely projected to win a rare third straight term.

Speaking to a large crowd in the country’s western Rajasthan state, Modi stated that if elected, the country’s main opposition, the Indian National Congress, would distribute the country’s wealth among “infiltrators” and “those who have more children,” a clear reference to the Muslim community.

“When they (the Congress) were in control, they said Muslims had first priority over resources. They will collect all of your riches and distribute it to those with more children. “They will distribute among infiltrators,” Modi added to thunderous applause from the gathering.

“Do you think your hard-earned money should go to infiltrators? Will you accept this?” Modi stated.

The opposition has seized on Modi’s words, accusing him and the BJP of adopting divisive rhetoric to fuel their increasingly popular brand of Hindu nationalism. Opposition lawmakers have urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to investigate whether Modi’s remarks violated the body’s code of conduct.

The code specifies that politicians cannot appeal to voters based on “caste” or “communal feelings.” Activity that “may aggravate differences, create mutual hatred, or cause tension” among communities and religions is likewise prohibited.

Members of the Muslim community have reacted strongly to Modi’s comments, which come at a time when many fear that a third term for the BJP will exacerbate the country’s already profound religious divide.

Disney Is Trying To Salvage Its Indian Dreams

Disney Is Trying To Salvage Its Indian Dreams

 

 

President Joe Biden’s recent polling boost in key battleground states has mostly disappeared, as a deep current of pessimism about the US economy’s destiny undermines his standing with voters for the upcoming 2024 election.

Ahead of the November US election, President Joe Biden is lagging his major opponent Donald Trump in six of the seven key states, according to the most recent opinion poll.

According to the Wall Street Journal’s survey, voters are generally dissatisfied with the national economy and have serious reservations about Biden’s abilities and job performance.
Trump has a two to eight percentage point lead in six battleground states: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and North Carolina. However, Biden leads Trump by three points in Wisconsin.

In every state polled, negative views of the president’s job performance outnumber positive views by 16 percentage points or more, with the spread exceeding 20 points in four states.

In contrast, Trump receives an unfavorable job rating for his stay in the White House in only one state, Arizona, where negative scores surpass positive ones by one percentage point, according to The Wall Street Journal.

According to Real Clear Politics, which tracks all major national polls, Trump and Biden are in a dead heat this fall. The average of major national surveys shows Trump ahead Biden by 0.8 percentage points.

“Biden and Trump both comfortably became their party’s probable nominees last month, but each will face a lengthy and arduous campaign in a rerun of the 2020 election. “In a race expected to be razor-thin, a handful of battleground states will likely determine the winner,” The Hill newspaper said Wednesday.

Source: Bloomberg

OpenAI Sets Rules To Combat Election Misinformation. It’s Been Tried Before

OpenAI Sets Rules To Combat Election Misinformation. It’s Been Tried Before

All eyes were on Pennsylvania on Tuesday, as the critical swing state held pivotal elections that could send a clear statement ahead of the November 2024 presidential election.

While former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden had already secured their party nominations, they both easily won the Republican and Democratic primaries in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, gaining even more support.

Sen. Bob Casey, D-Penn., and businessman David McCormick won the Democratic and Republican Senate primaries, respectively, and will square off in a closely contested battle in the fall.

Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pennsylvania, defeated Bhavini Patel, a member of Allegheny County’s Edgewood Borough Council, in a hard-fought primary in the state’s 12th congressional district.

However, those were not the only tight contests on Tuesday. Here’s a summary of the USA TODAY Network’s live coverage of the most recent primaries.

Eugene DePasquale secures Democratic bid for attorney general

Eugene DePasquale, the former state auditor general, beat a crowded field of opponents to win the Democratic primary for the open attorney general seat. He will face Republican David Sunday in what’s expected to be competitive general election race.

David Sunday wins GOP attorney general primary

David Sunday, a York County district attorney, beat state house member Craig Williams in the Republican primary. He’s set to face off against Democrat Eugene DePasquale in the November election.

–Karissa Waddick

Republican Ryan McKenzie wins primary election in Pennsylvania’s 7th District 

Ryan McKenzie won the GOP primary to challenge Democratic Rep. Susan Wild for the Lehigh, Pennsylvania, area congressional seat in November. The seat in the state’s 7th District is a top target for Republicans in November.

Janelle Stelson to face GOP Rep. Scott Perry in PA’s 10th District

Democrat Janelle Stelson will challenge Republican Rep. Scott Perry for Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional seat in November. Stelson beat five Democratic competitors in the primary.

A former news anchor, Stelson is aiming to win over independents and moderate conservatives in the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, district to defeat Perry in the general election. The Cook Political Report has labeled the race as leaning in Perry’s favor.

Rep. Summer Lee fights off challenger in PA’s 12th District

Democratic Rep. Summer Lee beat Bhavini Patel in the primary for the state’s 12th district. Her win comes as a potential positive sign for other progressives in Congress who are facing challenges from moderate Democrats over their opposition to additional U.S. military aid for Israel.

Lee’s advocacy for a ceasefire in Gaza became a central theme of the campaign. Her opponent argued that Lee’s criticism of Israel hurt Biden’s reelection efforts. But those arguments ultimately did not win over voters.

Moderate Republican Brian Fitzpatrick fends off challenger in GOP race for 1st District

Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick defeated right-wing challenger Mark Houck in the Bucks County congressional primary, according to a call by the Associated Press.

The race was viewed as a test of how important the issue of abortion could be for the Republican Party’s base in 2024. Fitzpatrick is a widely regarded as a moderate Republican. Houck advocated for a near total ban on abortions, while Fitzpatrick has called for compromise.

David McCormick clinches GOP primary for closely watched Senate seat

David McCormick won the Republican nomination for Senate in Pennsylvania. He ran unopposed in the race and will face incumbent Sen. Bob Casey in the general election.

Donald Trump, Joe Biden lock down Republican and Democratic primaries

Donald Trump and Joe Biden won their respective party primaries in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, picking up dozens of additional delegates as they both seek a second term in the White House.

Neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump campaigned in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, despite it being a major general election target for both candidates.

Instead, Trump appeared in a New York City courtroom for the second day of witness testimony in his hush money trial. And Biden delivered a speech in Tampa, Florida, attempting to tie Trump to the southern state’s law banning abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy.

Both candidates traveled to Pennsylvania last week for major campaign stops ahead of the primary.