A mock poll was conducted on Tuesday to check the functioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) that will be used for the bypolls to the Erode (East) Assembly constituency, scheduled for February 27.
A team comprising eight engineers from the Bharat Electronics Limited, Bengaluru, began first-level checking of EVMS and VVPAT at the strongroom on the premises of the Erode Revenue Divisional Office on January 19. Checking was completed and a mock poll was conducted in the presence of District Election Officer and District Collector H. Krishnanunni and representatives of recognised political parties.
Mr. Krishnanunni told the presspersons that 500 ballot units, 500 control units and 500 VVPAT were allocated for the ensuing bypolls of which two ballot units, nine control units and nine VVPAT were found to be defective during the checking. A total of 1,480 units are available for use, he added. The Election Officer said that as per the Election Commission of India (ECI) norms, mock poll should be conducted for 5% of the total units, which is 25 machines. “The process has begun and will continue,” he added.
Ballot and control units and VVPAT were randomly picked by representatives of recognised political parties and votes cast by them in these units were verified. “For training and awareness programmes, 72 machines will be used and hence finally 1,408 machines are available for the election,” the Collector said.
District Revenue Officer S. Santhoshini Chandra, Returning Officer and Corporation Commissioner K. Sivakumar, Assistant Returning Officer Muthukumar and Election Tahsildar Sivagami were present.
