ECI Completes First-Stage Randomisation of EVMs and VVPATs for Assam, Kerala, Puducherry and Bypolls

Overview

• District Election Officers used the EVM Management System to assign machines from district warehouses to Assembly constituencies in the presence of recognised party representatives.
• Only units that cleared mandatory First Level Checking were included, with constituency-wise lists shared with party functionaries at district headquarters.
• Randomised EVMs and VVPATs have been secured in Assembly strong rooms under security arrangements that allow observation by party representatives.
• The next round will randomise machines to individual polling stations after the list of contesting candidates is finalised, with full allocation details then provided to all candidates.
• First-stage randomisation also covers by-elections in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland and Tripura scheduled for April 9, while work in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal is reported to be in progress.