Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik has urged the public to report election-related violations through the Election Commission’s mobile application, cVIGIL.
Speaking at the Secretariat in Chennai, she said citizens can capture photos of suspected violations and submit them through the app. She added that the identity of complainants will be kept confidential.
Patnaik noted that Tamil Nadu already carries a reputation for high election spending, and said steps would be taken to curb it through a central government agency. She also said the deadline to apply for inclusion of names in the voter list has been extended until March 26.
She further said the new voter information slip will display details such as the part number in a separate boxed section at the top, making it easier for voters to locate. Efforts are also under way to set up polling stations in apartment complexes in addition to schools, though some are hesitant as space must be allotted to the Election Commission for up to three days.
In a separate statement, the Election Commission said voters engaged in essential services can apply for postal ballots through coordinators appointed in their departments. The facility covers services including fire and rescue, public health, electricity, transport, ambulance services, aviation and state transport corporations, and also applies to journalists deployed on election duty.
