The office of the chief electoral officer (CEO), Manipur on Saturday announced that the first visit of the expenditure observers will be done through virtual mode from the date of notification, as the Election Commission has relaxed their first physical visit in view of COVID-19 pandemic situation.
However, the expenditure observers will be taking up their second visit physically one day before the last date of making nominations, joint CEO of Manipur, Md S Daulat Khan said in a release.
The release stated that expenditure observers have been appointed by the ECI (12 for the first phase and eight for the second phase). It also stated that since the announcement of the polls, the election commission had distributed 42,939 Form 12D (application for postal ballot facility for persons with disabilities, voters above 80 years and Covid suspected or infected voters), of which the 2,980 persons have submitted it back.
To scale up awareness on accessibility measures, a virtual conference on ‘Accessible and Inclusive Elections’ involving all CSOs, NGOs working in the field of PwD will be held on February 2, it added.
With regards to EVM/VVPAT, it said the first randomisation of EVM/VVPAT has started with the participation of political parties in the districts and it will be concluded by February 1 and the second randomisation will begin from February 14, followed by commissioning of the machines.
The New Symbol Loading Units (SLU) will be used for loading of the symbols on pilot basis in Manipur during the commissioning and this information has been shared with political parties, it said, adding the process can be seen by political party representatives through TV screens to be installed in the Commissioning Hall.
In view of the COVID-19 situation, the release stated that all efforts are being made to have all polling personnel vaccinated with double dose before going for poll duty.
Vaccination camps are being opened at the training centres, precautionary doses are being administered to the polling personnel and the election machinery were handled as per the protocol, it added.
