EVMs, VVPATs despatched to eight Assembly constituencies in Erode

They will be received by Returning Officers and locked in strong rooms

Electronic voting machines (EVMs), voter-verified paper audit trails (VVPATs) and other poll materials were despatched to eight Assembly constituencies in the district here on Tuesday.

District Election Officer and Collector C. Kathiravan supervised the exercise at the Railway Colony Corporation Higher Secondary School at Kollampalayam, in the presence of representatives of recognised political parties.

He told media persons that control units, ballot units and VVPATs were sent to respective taluk offices in the constituencies under tight security and the Returning Officers (ROs) concerned will receive it and place it in strong rooms and seal it. “The process will be completed in two days”, he said and added that the rooms would be guarded round the clock, in addition to camera surveillance.

“Computerised randomisation exercise will be carried out polling station-wise,” he added.

Mr. Kathiravan said that four expenditure observers were assigned for the district. There are 38 shadow polling stations in Anthiyur and Bargur that have no mobile connectivity and 118 polling stations in remote hilly areas. Women poll officers will not be posted in such areas, he said. “Anti-poaching watchers of the Forest Department will support poll officials in remote hill areas during elections,” he added.

Four-wheelers would be used to transport poll materials to Kathirimalai in Anthiyur Assembly constituency, which was hitherto carried out using donkeys, he added.

Poll offcials vaccinated

He said that around 3,000 poll officials have been vaccinated so far.

At present there are 32 sensitive booths in the district that are monitored daily and assessed. “Based on political alliance, sensitive booths may vary,” he said and added that 22 election-related complaints have been received so far.

Source: Read Full Article