NEW DELHI: The growing crescendo of protest by a few opposition parties against the electronic voting machines (EVMs) might raise doubts in your mind about the safety of the machines. However, robust security measures by the Election Commission (EC) rule out the possibility of any foul play.From the physical examination of EVMs at the initial stage to the final vote count, EC's 10-step security process leaves no room for any mischief.Below is the detail of these 10 steps that ensure EVMs are mischief-proof:1) The security process by the Election Commission begins with what it calls the first-level checking (FLC). Engineers from Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (the companies that supply EVMs) certify the originality of components after technical and physical examination of each EVM . This task is completed in front of the representatives of various political parties.2) After careful examination, defective EVMs are sent back to the factory.3) The FLC hall is fully sanitized to ensure that it is free of any other electronic device or components of electronic devices. Entry to the hall is restricted and guarded by police force. Nobody can carry a camera, mobile phone or spy device inside the hall.4) The EC conducts a mock poll of at least 1,000 votes on 10 per cent of randomly selected EVMs by representatives of candidates. The results are shown to them. The Election Commission also videographs the entire process.5) EVMs are randomized twice while being allocated to an Assembly and then to a polling booth, ruling out any fixed allocation.6) Once upon reaching the polling booth, one more mock poll is conducted in front of polling agents just before the polling starts for the day.7) After completion of the poll, EVMs are sealed. Polling agents put their signatures on the seal.8) The EVMs are then transported to a secure storage centre called strong room. These strong rooms are guarded 24x7 with several layers of security. Polling agents can go up to the strong room during transportation of EVMs.9) Candidates can put their own seals on the strong rooms where polled EVMs are stored after the poll. The EC also allows representatives to camp in front of strong rooms.10) At the final stage, the EVMs are brought to the counting centres and unique IDs of the seals and control unit are shown to representatives of candidates before the counting begins. The counting staff and counting agents take note of the votes cast for each candidate in serial number.The EC is using latest technology to further strengthen the security process. It has introduced M2 and new-generation M3 EVMs which have a technology that makes the machine inoperative the moment anyone tries to open it.It has also introduced Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail ( VVPAT ) in 255 assembly constituencies and nine Lok Sabha constituencies to bring more transparency to the process. Paper trail serves as the physical proof of voting.