Election Commission completes first phase of EVM-VVPAT randomisation across poll-bound states, including Assam

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has successfully completed the first phase of randomisation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry, along with select states going for by-elections.

The poll panel had earlier, on March 15, announced the schedule for the General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, in addition to by-elections in six states.

As part of the mandated electoral protocol, EVMs are allocated through a robust two-stage randomisation process designed to eliminate any possibility of bias or manipulation. In the first stage, machines are randomly distributed from district-level warehouses to Assembly Constituencies. In the second stage, they are further randomised and assigned to individual polling stations.

Following the Commission’s directives, District Election Officers (DEOs) in all poll-bound states and Union Territories carried out the first randomisation of EVM-VVPAT units that had successfully undergone First Level Checking (FLC), a stringent technical verification process.

The exercise has been completed in Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry for the Assembly elections, and in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland, and Tripura for by-elections scheduled on April 9, 2026.

Officials confirmed that the randomisation process was conducted using the EVM Management System (EMS) in the presence of representatives from recognised national and state political parties, reinforcing transparency and stakeholder confidence in the electoral process.

In a further move to ensure openness, constituency-wise lists of the randomised EVMs and VVPATs have been shared with political party representatives at district headquarters.

The machines will now be securely stored in designated Assembly strong rooms under strict surveillance, with political party representatives allowed to monitor the process.

The ECI also stated that after the finalisation of contesting candidates, detailed lists of both first and second-stage randomised EVMs and VVPATs will be shared with all candidates, ensuring full traceability and accountability.

The completion of the first randomisation marks a significant milestone in the election preparedness process, underscoring the Commission’s commitment to conducting free, fair, and transparent elections across the country.