EVM demonstration booths opened at Tirunelveli, Tenkasi Collectorates

To create awareness among the electorate, especially in the midst of first-time voters, about the functioning of Electronic Voting Machine and the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), EVM demonstration booth with EVM and VVPAT has been created at the Collectorate to demonstrate the functioning of these machines to the voters and clarify their doubts, if any.

As the EVMs, being used in the urban local body, Assembly and Parliamentary elections for the past several years even as the Opposition parties are questioning its credibility, are to be used in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly polls to be held either in April-end or May, the ‘EVM demonstration booth’ has been created on the Collectorate premises. The purpose behind this booth is to present the functioning of the ballot and control units connected with VVPATs that tell the voters about their choice of candidate.

District Collector R. Sukumar, who visited the booth on Thursday, said one EVM demonstration awareness booth had been created in each Assembly constituency – Tirunelveli, Ambasamudram, Palayamkottai, Nanguneri and Radhapuram Assembly segments – to create awareness among the voters.

“After the first-level checking of the EVMs, comprising of ballot unit, control unit and the VVPAT, by the engineers from Bharat Heavy Electricals, Bengaluru, 134 EVMs have been allotted for ‘EVM Demonstration Centres’ for awareness creation and for training of polling personnel. The voters, particularly the first-time voters, should visit the booth to understand the functioning of EVMs,” Dr. Sukumar said.

In Tenkasi district, District Collector A. K. Kamal Kishore, who inaugurated the facility at the Collectorate, said the booths have also been created at the Office of the Sub-Collector, Tenkasi, and Office of Revenue Divisional Officer, Sankarankovil.

The EVM demonstration booth have also been set up in other Assembly constituencies of the district viz. Alangulam, Kadayanallur and Vasudevanallur (Reserved), the officials said.