State Vision News Service Samba, Sept. 19 As part of the ongoing voter awareness efforts under the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation SVEEP program, the District Election Office today organized multiple activities aimed at increasing voter participation in the upcoming elections. District Election Officer DEO , Rajesh Sharma, and Senior Superintendent of Police SSP , Vinay Sharma, jointly inaugurated an inter state badminton competition at the Indoor Badminton Stadium. The event marked the beginning of the tournament and also served as a platform for promoting voter awareness. Addressing the participants, DEO Rajesh Sharma highlighted the significant role of sports in promoting democratic values and urged everyone present to cast their vote on Election Day. Another key highlight of the day was the human formation by students of Government Higher Secondary School GHSS Ghagwal, who creatively depicted the Date of Poll. This visually impactful event was designed to remind the public of the upcoming election and the importance of exercising their democratic rights. The District Administration continues its commitment to raising voter awareness through a variety of SVEEP activities, ensuring a free, fair, and transparent election process with maximum participation. Meanwhile, the second phase of randomization for Electronic Voting Machines EVMs for the upcoming Assembly Elections 2024 was successfully carried out on Thursday here in the Video Conference room of the DC Office Complex, Nandani Hills.
The process was conducted under the supervision of the General Observer for Ramgarh, Vishwashree Boga, and the General Observer for Samba and Vijaypur, C.G. Rajini Kaanthan. District Election Officer DEO Rajesh Sharma led the event. Key electoral officials were present, including ADC Jagdish Singh, Deputy Election Officer, and Returning Officers ROs for the 69 Ramgarh, 70 Samba, and 71 Vijaypur assembly segments Sunaina Saini, Kusum Chib, and Umesh Sharma, DIO NIC, Manish Sharma. Other nodal officers, senior officials, and representatives from different political parties also attended the randomization process, reinforcing the transparency of the proceedings. DEO Rajesh Sharma provided a detailed briefing on the importance of the randomization process, stressing its critical role in ensuring fairness and integrity in the electoral system. He highlighted that the random assignment of EVMs helps prevent bias and ensures impartial distribution across polling stations. The randomization was carried out using specialized software designed to allocate Ballot Units, Control Units, and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail VVPAT units for the three key assembly segments 69 Ramgarh, 70 Samba, and 71 Vijaypur. The list of randomized EVMs was handed over to political party representatives to further ensure transparency.