Fixing of ballot papers on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) that are to be used for polling in Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency began on Friday even as arrangements for the Lok Sabha elections are underway in full swing.
The process of fixing the ballot papers and carrying the names of candidates and their symbols on 3,144 EVMs began on Friday. District Collector and Returning Officer of the constituency Jayashree Muralidharan and General Observer Harendra Nath Bora supervised the operation at the Tiruchi West Assembly segment at the Taluk Office in the city.
Speaking to reporters, Ms.Muralidharan said a mock polling was also conducted as part of the exercise in the presence of candidates and their representatives.
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Ms.Muralidharan said applications for receiving postal ballots have been distributed to about 15,000 officials engaged in election duty in the district. This includes officials on duty at polling stations, those engaged in webcasting, video recording and police personnel on security duty. So far, 6,000 filled-in applications have been received, and ballot papers have been issued to them.
Ballot boxes for depositing the postal ballots would be placed at the office of the City Police Commissioner on Saturday and Sunday. The ballot boxes will be placed at the office of the Superintendent of Police (Tiruchi rural) on April 21 for the postal ballots to be deposited by eligible persons.
However, officials on polling duty would be issued election duty certificates enabling them to cast their votes at the polling stations where they have been deployed (if the polling stations come within the constituency).
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In Tiruchi district, postal ballots papers have been issued to 2,000 ex-service personnel, of which 800 were in Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency. Ms.Muralidharan also disclosed that 200 zonal teams have been formed in Tiruchi district to check distribution of money to voters.