Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
The Election Commission of India (ECI) will begin the First Level Checking (FLC) of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines across all districts of Punjab from November 12, 2026, ahead of the 2027 Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, Anindita Mitra, IAS, said the First Level Checking is a mandatory process prescribed by the Election Commission to ensure that only fully functional and election-ready machines are deployed during the elections.
She said the FLC of EVMs and VVPATs used in every general election and bye-election is conducted under the supervision of the respective District Election Officers (DEOs) by authorised engineers of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
Mitra clarified that only those EVMs and VVPATs that successfully clear the First Level Checking will be used in the Punjab Assembly elections. The entire procedure will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines and instructions issued by the Election Commission of India.
She added that all necessary arrangements have been made to ensure the smooth, transparent and systematic conduct of the checking process. The exercise will be supervised by the concerned District Election Officers and monitored by the Chief Electoral Officer's office as well as the Election Commission of India.
To ensure transparency and accountability, live webcasting of the entire FLC process will be conducted at all 23 locations across Punjab. Two display screens have been installed at each district headquarters, with one at the FLC site and another at the respective Deputy Commissioner's office, allowing representatives to monitor the proceedings.
Dedicated screens have also been installed at the CEO Punjab headquarters to facilitate live monitoring of the process. Additionally, the Election Commission of India has appointed observers to supervise the exercise.
The Chief Electoral Officer has urged all recognised political parties to authorise their representatives to remain present during the FLC process. She said their participation would further strengthen transparency, build confidence among stakeholders and ensure that the exercise is conducted in a fair and impartial manner.
