Deputy ECs to visit 5 States as poll body steps up preparedness to hold high stakes elections

Senior Election Commission officials led by Deputy Election Commissioners will start visiting the five poll-bound States from this week to oversee election preparedness at the field level.

Functionaries said this week teams from the EC will visit Goa, followed by Uttarakhand next week. The EC officials will also visit Punjab and then Manipur in coming weeks.

There is no word yet on when EC officials will visit Uttar Pradesh.

Usually, the "full Commission" comprising the Chief Election Commissioner and fellow Commissioners visits poll-bound states ahead of announcement of election schedule.

While the term of the 403-member 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 allows 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' (FLCs) 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 the 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.