The constituency-wise commissioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units will be completed in Kozhikode district on Saturday. The technical process is part of the Election Commission’s framework for ensuring transparent administration and security protocols that have been put in place to avoid any misuse or procedural lapse in the use of the machines during the polls. An officer in-charge of the procedure said the commissioning of the majority of EVMs and VVPATs was completed in the presence of candidates or their agents within the past three days.
Only the replacement and commissioning of some of the damaged machines and the stock to be used as reserve were remaining and it could be completed on Saturday, the official said.
The commissioning procedures mainly involve multi-level checking of the machines to ensure flawless functioning.
The fixing of ballot paper, masking of candidate buttons, setting of thumb-wheel switch, battery installation, setting the number of contesting candidates and sealing of various sections are part of the process. The machines, after the commissioning process, will be moved to strongrooms.
In Kozhikode district, the machines will be used in 2,174 polling stations.
