For all future Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, "Randomisation of the state police personnel deployed at the polling station on the day of poll shall be done in the presence of police observer(s) deployed for the constituencies in that district."
The new procedure will be applied in upcoming assembly polls in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam, and West Bengal.
Deployment of central forces for law and order and EVM security will also be enforced.
EC Mandates Observer Presence for Police Randomisation at Polling Stations
District superintendents of police will continue to carry out the randomisation, but now it will be observed by central police personnel to ensure neutrality.
Summary
Seeking to enhance transparency, the Election Commission has directed that, from now on, the randomisation of state police personnel deployed at polling stations on voting day will be conducted in the presence of central police observers assigned to the constituencies. This randomisation ensures neutrality by deploying local police outside their current station areas, thereby minimizing potential bias.
In a letter to state chief electoral officers and DGPs on Monday, the EC stated that for all future Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, "Randomisation of the state police personnel deployed at the polling station on the day of poll shall be done in the presence of police observer(s) deployed for the constituencies in that district."
An official explained that district superintendents of police handle the randomisation of state police personnel. "They will continue to do so. But now the exercise will be done in the presence of police observers," the official added.
Assembly elections are expected in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam, and West Bengal in April, where the new procedure will be implemented.
In addition to state police and state armed police, central forces are also deployed during elections to maintain law and order, safeguard polling stations, protect vulnerable voters, and secure EVM strong rooms.
The EC emphasized that the new directives should be communicated to all district election officers, SPs, police commissioners, returning officers, and sector officers.
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