Sivaganga DEO oversees training session for polling officials

In view of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly General Election – 2026, District Election Officer and District Collector K. Porkodi inspected the training classes held for a total of 7,288 officials assigned to various levels of polling station duties and briefed them on the rules and responsibilities to be followed at polling stations.

While briefing on the rules and duties to be followed at polling stations, she stated, “As per the orders of the Election Commission of India, polling for the elections will be held on April 23. Accordingly, the first phase of election training was conducted at the following locations.”

For Karaikudi Assembly Constituency, three locations in Karaikudi—Maharishi Vidya Mandir Matric Higher Secondary School, RMS. Ramanathan Chettiar Municipal High School, and RMS. Ramanathan Chettiar Municipal Primary School; for Tiruppattur AC – Arumugam Pillai Seethai Ammal Arts and Science College, Tiruppattur; for Sivaganga AC – Mannar Doraisingam Government Arts and Science College, Sivaganga; for Manamadurai AC – Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Manamadurai.

In these sessions, training was imparted by Assembly Constituency-level training officers and 140 Zonal Officers to a total of 7,288 officials, including 1,822 Presiding Officers, 1,822 Polling Officers (Level-1), 1,822 Polling Officers (Level-2) and 1,822 Polling Officers (Level-3).

Furthermore, District-level Officers have been appointed to each training centre to monitor the training provided to polling station officials.

“In this training class, relevant forms were provided to the officials deployed for polling station duties to facilitate their voting. Instructions regarding casting their postal ballots at the District Election Officer / District Collector’s office or other designated locations were also communicated,” said Ms. Porkodi.

“Specifically, all duties must be performed strictly within the rules prescribed by the Election Commission. The use of mobile phones within polling stations must be avoided. It is noted that appropriate instructions should be provided to polling agents through all recognised political parties,” she instructed.

Officials must thoroughly and completely understand all training instructions and regulations provided in these classes, she added.