The process of commissioning Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections began on Tuesday across all 126 constituencies, marking a key milestone in the state’s election preparedness.
According to an official statement, the commissioning exercise is being conducted at locations designated by respective District Election Officers (DEOs). The process is being carried out with the assistance of authorised engineers and technical personnel from Electronics Corporation of India Ltd.
Officials stated that the entire procedure is taking place in the presence of contesting candidates or their authorised representatives to ensure transparency and strict adherence to guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India.
Large-scale deployment of EVMs and VVPATs
During the exercise, a total of 41,353 Ballot Units (BUs), 45,572 Control Units (CUs), and 44,830 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units are being commissioned.
This includes reserve machines—9,863 BUs, 14,082 CUs, and 13,340 VVPAT units—which will be kept on standby to address any contingencies on polling day.
The state will have 31,490 polling stations, with around 2.51 crore registered voters expected to participate in the electoral process.
Polling for the 126-member Assam Assembly is scheduled for April 9, while the counting of votes will take place on May 4.
Symbol loading and verification process
As part of the commissioning procedure, symbols will be loaded into each VVPAT using a Symbol Loading Unit (SLU). The symbols uploaded to the machines will be displayed simultaneously on monitors or television screens, enabling candidates and their representatives to verify them in real time.
To further strengthen transparency, candidates or their representatives will be allowed to randomly select up to five per cent of the EVMs and VVPATs for mock polls. This step is aimed at ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the machines before polling begins.
Critical step in election preparedness
The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer described the commissioning of EVMs as a critical stage in election preparedness. Officials said the process is being conducted with utmost care to ensure accuracy, transparency, and the integrity of the electoral process.
Notably, this will be the first Assembly election in Assam following the delimitation exercise carried out in 2023.
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