Lok Sabha polls | Three-tier security cover in place at counting centre in Erode

Three-tier security at Erode counting center for Lok Sabha polls with EVMs and VVPATs stored securely until counting day.

A three-tier security cover has been put in place at the counting centre inside the Government College of Engineering in Chithode, where the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines used in 1,688 booths during the Lok Sabha polls for the Erode Parliamentary constituency on Friday are stored.

After polling ended at 6 p.m., all the machines used in the Assembly constituencies of Kumarapalayam, Erode (East), Erode (West), Modakkurichi, Dharapuram and Kangayam were transported amid tight security to the counting centre and were received by election officials after verifications. The process was completed on Saturday morning and all the EVMs and VVPATs were kept in separate strong rooms for each Assembly constituency.

The strong rooms were sealed by District Election Officer and Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara in the presence of general observer Rajeev Ranjan Meena, Superintendent of Police G. Jawahar, District revenue Officer S. Shantha Kumar, assistant returning officers, candidates and representatives of political parties in the morning.

During a media briefing, Mr. Raja Gopal Sunkara confirmed a voter turnout of 70.54% in the constituency, highlighting the secure storage of all machines in the strong rooms. He emphasized the ongoing three-tier security arrangement, scheduled to remain in place until the day of counting on June 4. Additionally, 30 surveillance cameras were installed both inside and outside the strong rooms. The first layer of security outside the strong rooms is provided by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel, while Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) personnel and district police officers provide the second and third layers, respectively. Furthermore, a Tamil Nadu Special Police team, under the leadership of a Deputy Superintendent of Police, ensures round-the-clock security at the center.