District authorities begin randomisation of EVMs

Srinagar, August 23

Ahead of the Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir, the authorities in the Union Territory have started randomisation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs).

An official spokesperson said the first randomisation of EVMs and VVPATs for the Assembly election was successfully conducted in Poonch district of Jammu.

The process was carried out in strict adherence to the guidelines of the Election Commission, ensuring transparency and fairness in the election process, the spokesperson said, adding that besides the officials, representatives from the national and state political parties were also present during the randomisation process, conducted through the ECI’s EMS Software/Portal.

“The political representatives expressed satisfaction with the transparency and accuracy of the randomisation process. Lists of randomised Control Units (CUs), Ballot Units (BUs), and VVPATs were shared with the representatives, ensuring that every political party has complete insight into the process,” he said, adding that the entire procedure was videographed in accordance with ECI guidelines to further bolster transparency.

Similarly, first phase of randomisation of EVMs and VVPATs was conducted in Reasi district. During the randomisation, District Election Officer Vishesh Mahajan emphasised that the purpose of the exercise is to ensure free and fair elections with no human intervention. He highlighted that randomisation is conducted using dedicated software to uphold electoral integrity. He assured that all necessary measures have been implemented to guarantee transparency throughout the electoral process.

The DEO assured that the District Election Authority is committed to free and fair polls and shall ensure that there was no violation of guidelines by anyone.