A review meeting regarding the arrangements for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections was held at the Collectorate on Thursday.

Talking to presspersons, District Collector Rohini R. Bhajibhakare said that there were 28,61,881 voters in Salem district including 118 transgenders. In Salem Parliamentary constituency, there were 15,92,487 voters; 8,00,320 men, 7,92,090 women and 77 transgenders. In Salem district, including 11 auxiliary booths, 3,299 voting booths would be set up at 1,152 places.

The Collector said that a proposal had been sent to Election Commission to set up separate booths for men and women at 11 voting centres where there were more than 1,400 voters.

Ms. Rohini added that as many as 15,835 persons, besides 10,000 government staff, would be utilised for election works and at voting centres in the district. Thirty three flying squads, 33 static surveillance trams, 33 video surveillance teams, 11 video viewing teams, 11 accounting teams and 11 assistant expenditure observers would be appointed for election works.

Necessary arrangements were being made to ensure that differently-abled persons were able to vote in the elections. “Ramps and wheel chairs will be available in all voting centres. Braille stickers will be stuck to assist the visually challenged. Differently-abled persons could also apply for inclusion in voters’ list and raise requests for facilities at the booths through PWD app, the Collector added.

Ms. Rohini said that 212 sensitive voting centres had been identified and the number was dynamic. She also added that the district had enough additional voting units in case of any voting machine malfunction.

She said that the voters must carry one of the following IDs along with booth slips to vote: passport, driving licence, service identity cards issued by State/Central limited companies, banks/post office passbooks with photo, PAN card, smart card issued by RGI under NPR, MNREGA job card, health insurance smart card, pension document with photograph, official identity cards issued by MPs, MLAs and Aadhaar card.

Ms. Rohini said a voters helpline 1950 had also been launched to assist voters.