The top brass of Election Commission on Wednesday visited the state on Wednesday to review the counting arrangements in place for Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, Puducherry and Andamans. The officials led Umesh Sinha, senior deputy election commissioner, along with Sandeep Saxena, senior deputy election commissioner, Dilip Sharma, director general (Expenditure) reviewed the arrangements in place.

The top brass of Election Commission during a training on counting process in Chennai on Wednesday

Chennai:

The participants comprising presiding officers, returning officers and district election officers were imparted detailed training on the procedure to be followed while counting of votes from electronic voting machines and the procedure for counting of voter-verifiable paper audit trail slips. Postal ballot counting was also explained.

 

The training was also imparted on the counting of ETBPS (Electronically Transmitted Post Ballot System) using QR codes. This was followed by a doubt clearing session.

 

The EC officials also released a booklet on “Instructions relating to counting process.” TN chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo, Kerala CEO Tikkaram Meena and poll officials from other states also took part in the review meeting.

According to public election department sources, the EC officials took stock on the counting arrangements, deployment of paramilitary, facilities made for the polling agents. The EC also reviewed the polling arrangements in place for four upcoming Assembly seats (Aravakurichi, Ottapidaram, Sulur and Tiruparankundram) schedule for polling on May 19.

 

In a related development, the poll officials transferred 30 EVM machines and 20 VVPAT machines to Theni where a repolling has been ordered on May 19.