Training programme held for election officials in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: Coimbatore district collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar on Saturday chaired a training programme for all zonal election officials ahead of the 2026 assembly poll.

As many as 366 zonal officials participated in the training programme held at the Coimbatore corporation’s auditorium in RS Puram.According to a senior official at the district collectorate, the attendees were briefed on their duties and responsibilities, types of materials and forms used at the polling stations. They were given hands-on training on using electronic voting machines.The official said, “The role of the zonal officials is very crucial to ensure the smooth conduct of elections.

Their responsibilities include ensuring availability of basic facilities like toilets, chairs and network connectivity at the polling stations allocated to them. Other duties include reporting to the presiding officer and handing over the forms. Also, the main part is to identify vulnerable polling stations within their jurisdiction and report accordingly.

”In the 2021 assembly elections, around 390 of the total 3,177 polling stations were identified as vulnerable. However, this time the numbers are expected to increase due to the rationalisation of polling stations. There are 3,563 polling stations for the upcoming assembly elections. Approximately, 425 polling stations are identified as vulnerable now. However, they are yet to be finalised.