The Election Commission of India has initiated “first level checks” (FLCs) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and paper trail machines in preparation for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections and five assembly polls scheduled before the year-end.
The FLCs include conducting mock polls as part of the process. This nationwide exercise will be carried out in phases, encompassing all constituencies, including the vacant Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in Kerala, following the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case. The Election Commission stated that FLCs would be conducted in the five poll-bound states of Rajasthan, Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh, as well as in assembly and parliamentary seats where by-elections are due.
The process involves engineers from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL), who manufacture the EVMs and paper trail machines, checking for any mechanical flaws. Faulty machines will be sent back to the manufacturers for repair or replacement. Furthermore, representatives from political parties are present during the mock polls to observe the functioning of the machines.
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