New Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) As the Election Commission readies to hold high-stakes assembly polls in five states, its senior officers led by deputy election commissioners have started taking stock of preparations there with a poll authority team currently on a visit to Uttarakhand.
Commission officers will visit Manipur and Punjab in the coming days, senior functionaries said.
While a field visit to Goa was also on the agenda, the tour dates are being reworked now.
There is no word yet on the officers’ visit to Uttar Pradesh which elects 403 MLAs. Usually, the “full Commission” comprising chief election commissioner and fellow commissioners visits poll-bound states in the end ahead of announcement of election schedule.
While the term of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly ends on May 22 next year, the terms of 60-member Manipur, 40-member Goa, 117-member Punjab and 70-member Uttarakhand assembly end on different dates in March, 2027.
Provisions of The Representation of the People Act, 1950 allow the EC to hold polls “earlier than six months before the term expires”.
As part of poll preparation, Uttar Pradesh and Goa have initiated ‘first-level checks’ (FLC) on electronic voting machines and paper trail units to be used in polling.
During FLCs, electronic voting machines and paper trail machines are checked for mechanical flaws by engineers of BEL and ECIL, the two PSUs that manufacture the two equipment.
Faulty machines are returned to the manufacturers for repair or replacement.
A mock poll is also held to check the two machines in the presence of representatives of political parties. The FLCs are an important part of poll preparedness.
The EC issues a calendar which states have to follow and these checks are part of the schedule.
During FLC, any data from previous elections remaining on the Control Units and Ballot Units is completely cleared.
Once a unit passes all diagnostic tests, it is marked as “FLC OK” and sealed with a specialised pink paper seal to prevent any unauthorised access before the next stages of election preparation.
At least one ballot unit, one control unit and one paper trail machine make for an EVM. PTI NAB
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