NE POLITICAL BUREAU
NEW DELHI, MAR 21
In a decisive step to reinforce electoral transparency and credibility, the Election Commission of India has successfully completed the first randomisation of EVMs and VVPATs for the upcoming Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, along with bye-elections in select states.
First Randomisation of EVM-VVPATs for upcoming Assembly Elections completed
in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry ✅Lists shared with Political Parties ✅
Read more: https://t.co/FstnUjhj2S pic.twitter.com/zC93gPxN62
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) March 21, 2026
The move follows the poll schedule announcement on March 15 for Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, setting the stage for a tightly monitored and technology-driven electoral exercise.
According to the Commission, the two-stage randomisation process ensures complete impartiality in the allocation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). In the first stage, machines are randomly distributed from district warehouses to Assembly constituencies, while the second stage assigns them further to individual polling stations.
“The two-stage randomisation of EVMs and VVPATs is a critical safeguard to ensure transparency, neutrality and public confidence in the electoral process,” senior officials indicated, underlining the robustness of the system.
The first round of randomisation—conducted through the EVM Management System (EMS)—was carried out by District Election Officers in the presence of representatives from recognised national and state political parties, ensuring procedural transparency at every step.
“The entire process has been conducted in a transparent manner with active participation of political party representatives, reinforcing trust in the system,” officials added.
As part of the protocol, constituency-wise lists of randomly allocated EVMs and VVPATs have been shared with political parties at district headquarters, enhancing accountability and enabling cross-verification.
Following the allocation, all machines will be securely stored in designated Assembly-level strong rooms, under strict surveillance and in the presence of party representatives, until further stages of the electoral process.
“EVMs and VVPATs will remain under multi-layered security in strong rooms, ensuring their integrity until deployment for polling,” the Commission emphasised.
The Commission further clarified that once the list of contesting candidates is finalised, the details of both first and second randomisation will also be shared with all candidates, adding another layer of transparency.
With polling scheduled for April 9 in multiple regions, the completion of the first randomisation marks a crucial milestone in the election preparedness roadmap, signalling the Commission’s firm commitment to free, fair and tamper-proof elections.
