EC Announces Coloured Candidate Photos on EVMs, Caps Voters at 1,200 per Booth

The Election Commission of India has announced a series of measures aimed at enhancing voter convenience, awareness, and transparency ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in five regions. Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that coloured photographs of each candidate will be displayed on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during the elections. The move is intended to help voters easily identify candidates and ensure greater clarity during the voting process. The Commission also announced that each polling station will have no more than 1,200 voters, a step designed to ensure smoother voting, reduce congestion at booths, and improve overall election management. To strengthen public confidence in the voting process, the Election Commission has organised extensive EVM awareness initiatives across poll-bound regions. A total of 717 EVM Demonstration Centres have been set up to familiarise voters with how the machines function and how votes are cast. These awareness camps are aimed at helping citizens understand the voting process better and encouraging greater participation in the democratic exercise. Assembly elections will be held in the states of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, along with the Union Territory of Puducherry. The Commission said the initiatives are part of its broader effort to ensure a transparent, accessible and voter-friendly electoral process across the country.