EVM/VVPAT demonstration centres set up

Tribune News Service

Nawanshahr, December 1

Elaborate preparations have started at the level of the district administration in view of ensuing 2022 Assembly elections. On Tuesday, the administration established EVM/VVPAT demonstration centres in district and assembly levels to sensitise the voters about these machines used in elections.

Four demonstration centres have been set up in the district - one at the district administrative complex and others at SDM offices. Deputy Commissioner -cum- District Election Officer Vishesh Sarangal appealed to the residents of district to visit these demonstration centres to get basic information about working of the EVM and VVPAT machines.

Voter awareness on wheels

• Hoshiarpur: Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Apneet Riyait flgged off seven awareness vans from the District Administrative Complex, to make all voters of the district aware of using Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) and Electronic Voting Machine (EVM)
• The Deputy Commissioner said as per the instructions of the Chief Electoral Officer, these awareness vans would be run in all cities and towns of the various Assembly constituencies in the district to spread awareness among voters about EVMs and VVPAT. She said Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) was a machine connected to electronic voting machine (EVM) through which voters could verify their vote
• Through this machine, voters can see the serial number, name and election symbol of the candidate they have voted for, for about seven seconds. She appealed that no eligible voter should be deprived of the right to vote. She said for information regarding elections, one could contact the toll free number 1950

He said mobile vans carrying EVM/VVPAT machines would also be started in the coming days to cover each village and ward of the district under this awareness drive. He added that adequate polling staff would also be deputed with the vans who would educate the people about the functioning of these machines.

Sarangal said the district has 614 booths and the EVM education and awareness drive would cover all the booths in coming days by conducting mock poll exercise. He said supervisors and booth-level officers have been asked to ensure the maximum reach of these mobile vans to the people so that we can complete this exercise well in advance.

The Chief Electoral Officer has already asked all districts to start campaign under SVEEP to surpass the state average polling figure of 77 percent recorded last time. “We are targeting those villages particularly where the percentage of polling was witnessed below state average”, added District Electoral Officer.