CHANDIGARH: In view of the forthcoming General Elections to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha-2027, the First Level Checking (FLC) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines will commence in all districts of Punjab from November 12, 2026.
Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, Mrs Anindita Mitra, IAS, informed that the First Level Checking of EVMs and VVPATs is an essential process prescribed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that only fully functional and election-ready machines are used during the elections.
She said as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India, First Level Checking of EVMs and VVPATs to be used in every General Election and Bye-Election is conducted under the supervision of the District Election Officer by authorised engineers of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
CEO stated that only those EVMs and VVPATs which successfully pass the First Level Checking Will be used in Vidhan Sabha elections. The detailed procedure for FLC will be conducted as per instructions of Election Commission of India.
The process will be conducted in accordance with the extant instructions of the Election Commission of India. All necessary arrangements have been made to ensure the smooth, transparent and systematic conduct of the FLC process.
Mrs Anindita Mitra stated that the FLC process will be conducted under the supervision of the concerned District Election Officers and will be monitored at the level of the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, as well as the Election Commission of India.
The CEO further said that to ensure complete transparency and accountability throughout the process Live webcasting of the entire FLC process will be conducted at all 23 locations .Two display screens (One at FLC site and the other at respective DC offices) have been installed at each district headquarters so that representatives can closely observe the proceedings.
Dedicated screens have also been set up at the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) headquarters to oversee the entire process live. Furthermore, the Election Commission of India has appointed observers to supervise these operations.
Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, Mrs. Anindita Mitra, has urged all recognised political parties to authorise their representatives to witness the First Level Checking (FLC) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. She emphasised that the presence of party representatives during the FLC process would further strengthen transparency, build confidence among stakeholders and ensure that the entire process is carried out in a fair and impartial manner, in accordance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India.