Assembly Elections: More EVMs & VVPATs to reach Assam in December

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will be sending more EVMs (Electronic Voting Machines) and VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trial machines) to Assam for the ensuing Assembly elections slated in April 2021. Assam State Election Department sources informed The Sentinel that these machines should reach Assam within December itself. The machines would be primarily required for the proposed additional 'Auxiliary Polling Stations' that are going to be set up in Assam during the polls. These polling stations have been envisaged due to the COVID-19 protocols issued by the ECI.

A total of 6,452 additional 'Auxiliary Polling Stations' are likely to come up across the State. The number of such polling stations may, however, go up if the number of electorates increases following the ongoing 'Special Summary Revision' (SSR) of the draft 'Photo Electoral Roll-2021'. The 'Final Photo Electoral Roll-2021' will be published on January 15, 2021. According to the draft 'Photo Electoral Roll-2021' (now under revision) there are 2,24,39,522 electorates in Assam.

Assam already has 28,205 'Permanent Polling Stations' including the newly created 62 new polling stations.

An EVM consists of two parts, namely the ballot unit (where a voter presses the button against a candidate) and a control unit (which registers the voting). Of these machines to be dispatched from Chattisgarh, there will be 10,400 ballot units; 15,600 control units; and 17,300 VVPATs.

As on date, there are 38,277 ballot units and 31,638 control units besides 33,641 VVPATs (the machine that confirms the vote in a slip) with the Department.

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