Polling for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election is being held today in all 234 constituencies, with voting scheduled from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm. Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik said the Election Commission has made arrangements to offer voters a better and smoother experience.
A total of 5.73 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots, including 2.80 crore men, 2.93 crore women and 7,728 third-gender voters. Around 14.5 lakh first-time voters are also set to vote.
Across the state, 75,064 polling stations have been set up at 33,133 locations. About 1.06 lakh electronic voting machines will be used, along with 75,064 control units and 75,064 VVPAT devices.
Election duty involves about 3.60 lakh personnel, including 83,875 police personnel. Flying squad checks have led to seizures worth Rs 1,262 crore so far, including Rs 543 crore in cash.
Authorities have registered 163 cases related to social media violations and blocked 2,180 social media pages. Special booths include 249 model polling stations, 325 women-managed booths, 71 for persons with disabilities and 79 youth booths, while green booth initiatives have also been taken up in several places. The CEO said 5,949 booths at 3,025 locations have been identified as sensitive, and voters will not be allowed to carry mobile phones inside polling stations, with separate arrangements made outside for safekeeping.
