The stage is set for voters to exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha election in central region on Friday as the authorities moved men and material to the polling stations on Thursday. Security personnel also took positions at polling stations and other sensitive places to ensure peaceful polling. Polling would begin at 7 a.m. on Friday.
On Thursday, election officials were busy transporting the electronic voting machines (EVMs) along with the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) devices, besides other polling materials to the polling stations. Vans and lorries were hired to transport the material to the polling stations with police escorts. District Collectors and other election officials supervised the exercise.
The Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency, spread over six Assembly segments in Tiruchi and Pudukottai districts, will have 1,665 polling stations and 84 of them have been classified as sensitive. The polling would be live streamed from 1,116 polling stations, according to Tiruchi Collector M.Pradeep Kumar, who inspected the process of transporting the polling materials. As many as 8,347 polling officials would be deployed in the constituency.
Earlier in the day, the third and final randomisation for deployment of the polling officials in the district was conducted in the presence Dinesh Kumar, General Observer, and Mr.Pradeep Kumar. Polling officials, including presiding officers, were assigned to various polling stations.
One model polling station, with all necessary amenities complete with a reception desk, has been established in each of the nine Assembly segments in the district. All these model polling stations will be entirely manned by women polling officials. A polling station at the Seva Sangam Girls Higher Secondary School in the city would be manned entirely by officials with disabilities and a polling station at Corporation Elementary Elementary School at Khajapettai Main Road would be manned by young polling officials, Mr.Pradeep Kumar said.
Voters can produce their Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) or any one of the following other identity documents approved by the Election Commission to exercise their franchise: Passport; driving licence; employee identity cards with photo issued by Central/State government PSUs/ public limited companies; bank or post office account pass books with photos; PAN card; smart card issued by RGI under NPR; MNREGA job card; health insurance smart card issued under scheme of Ministry of Labour; pension document with photograph; official identity cards of MPs/MLAs/MLCs; Aadhaar card or unique disability identity card issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
