Candidate names and symbols being loaded into EVMs

Trichy: The election office of Trichy district administration on Thursday began the crucial process of loading candidate details and election symbols onto the voting machines ahead of assembly election polling day on April 23.According to the district administration, a total of 3,341 control units (CU), 5,621 ballot units (BU), and 3,619 voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) units have been allocated for the nine constituencies.The loading of symbols and candidate names into the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and VVPAT units was carried out on Thursday at designated venues, including panchayat union offices, revenue divisional offices, tahsildar offices, and other government facilities in the respective constituencies.Collector Saravanan inspected the ongoing operations. Candidates and their representatives were also present throughout the process to ensure transparency.As part of the mandatory mock poll, they recorded 1,000 test votes on randomly selected EVMs and VVPAT units. The VVPAT slips were then physically counted and cross-verified against the electronic results to confirm the machines' accuracy.Once the preparation is completed, the EVMs and VVPATs will be stored in secure strong rooms as per Election Commission of India guidelines. The strong rooms will be opened on the day of distribution in the presence of candidates or their agents, with the entire process recorded on video.