Udalguri begins supplementary FLC of EVMs and VVPATs ahead of 2026 elections

A CORRESPONDENT

ORANG: With the 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections approaching, the Udalguri district administration has begun a crucial phase of electoral preparedness by announcing a supplementary First Level Checking (FLC) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) devices.

According to an official communication from the District Election Officer (DEO), the technical verification exercise will be conducted over two days, on February 19 and 20, at the secured EVM and VVPAT warehouse located within the District Commissioner’s office campus. The inspection will run from 9 am to 7 pm on both days.

The programme will cover 330 Control Units, 20 Ballot Units, and 50 VVPAT machines. A specialized team of ten engineers deputed by the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) has arrived in the district to carry out the inspection in accordance with Election Commission protocols.

To ensure transparency, representatives of recognized national and state political parties have been invited to witness the verification process. Officials noted that the presence of political stakeholders helps maintain public confidence in the credibility of the voting system.

The Additional District Commissioner (Election) will supervise the entire exercise. After the machines pass the technical examination, a mandatory mock poll will be conducted on five percent of the verified units to confirm operational accuracy. Authorities stated that all machines certified as functional will be sealed and placed under round-the-clock security in the warehouse, while any defective equipment will be handled strictly as per directives of the Election Commission of India.

The administration has already completed logistical arrangements and deployed personnel to ensure the procedure is carried out in full compliance with the prescribed Standard Operating Procedures.

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