DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal on Saturday said there will be a total of 20,629 polling booths for the upcoming assembly elections in the state. The Haryana assembly polls are due later this year.

He further said a preliminary voter list for the state has been published at all designated locations on August 2, following the Election Commission's voter list revision programme.

He requested representatives of political parties to thoroughly review the list and report any errors to the concerned election registration officer by August 16. Agarwal held a meeting with representatives of all recognised political parties in the state to discuss the second revision of the voter list, according to an official release.

The first-level checking of electronic voting machines is being conducted by engineers from Bharat Electronics Limited in all 22 districts of the state. Political party representatives can be present during this checking by contacting their district office in charge, he said.

Agarwal stated that special dates -- August 3, 4, 10, and 11-- have been set for the preparation of the revised voter list.

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will be present at polling stations on these dates to assist people in registering to vote. He has appealed to the representatives of all the political parties present to appoint their booth level agents so that they can contact the BLO on these dates.

Agarwal said that all recognized political parties are entitled to get two copies of the voter lists'?one printed and one soft copy.

He requested party representatives to collect the draft voter list from the district election officer or registration officer. The draft voter list for all 90 assembly constituencies has been published, and claims and objections will be resolved by August 26. The final publication of the voter list will be on August 27. Only those whose names are included in the voter list will be allowed to vote.

Information about voter registration can also be obtained by calling the Voter Helpline number - 1950.

He emphasized the importance of having one's name on the voter list for voting, urging young men and women who have turned 18 or older by July 1, 2024, to ensure their names are registered.
(editor@dailyworld.in)