New Delhi : The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the General Elections to the Legislative Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, along with bye-elections in six states.
As part of the election preparedness, the Commission has initiated the allocation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) through a robust two-stage randomisation process to ensure transparency and fairness. In the first stage, EVMs are randomly assigned from district-level warehouses to Assembly Constituencies, while in the second stage, they are further allocated to individual polling stations.
In line with ECI guidelines, District Election Officers (DEOs) in all poll-bound states and Union Territories have been directed to complete the first randomisation of EVMs and VVPATs that have successfully undergone First Level Checking (FLC).
The first phase of randomisation has been successfully completed for the Assembly elections in Assam and Kerala, as well as in Puducherry. It has also been carried out for bye-elections in Goa, Karnataka, Nagaland and Tripura, where polling is scheduled for April 9, 2026.
The process was conducted using the EVM Management System (EMS) in the presence of representatives of recognised national and state political parties, ensuring full transparency. Constituency-wise lists of the randomised EVMs and VVPATs have been shared with party representatives at the respective district headquarters.
These machines will now be securely stored in designated Assembly strong rooms under the supervision of election authorities and in the presence of political party representatives.
Following the finalisation of contesting candidates, detailed lists of both first and second-stage randomised EVMs and VVPATs will also be shared with all candidates, further reinforcing the Commission’s commitment to free, fair and transparent elections.