The mustering and de-mustering centre at St. Cecily’s School and PU College was a beehive of activities here on Friday.
After the randomisation process, the polling staff collected the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) from here and left to the polling booths allocated to them.
A large number of buses transported the polling staff along with the EVMs to their respective polling stations.
H. Kempe Gowda, Returning Officer for Udupi Assembly Constituency, said that there were 225 polling booths or stations in the constituency. Each booth would be manned by six polling staff including one presiding officer, one assistant presiding officer, three polling officers and a Group D employee.
The Akshara Dasoha midday meal staff at the concerned polling booths, which are located in schools, will cook meals and snacks for the polling staff unlike the earlier practice of getting food from outside, he said.
There will be a mock poll on EVMs which would be conducted for the representatives of the political parties at each polling station from 5.45 a.m. to 6 a.m. on Saturday.
The timing of the mock poll would not be changed whether the representatives of the political parties attended it or not, he said.
The polling process will be from 7 a.m. to at 6 p.m. on Saturday. This can be extended if there were voters in the queue at 6 p.m.
After the completion of the polling, the EVMs would be brought again to the mustering and de-mustering centre and then taken to the strong room at the T.A. Pai English Medium School here, Mr. Gowda said.
Kumuda Sharath, Returning Officer for Kaup Assembly Constituency, said that polling staff came to know which polling booth was allocated to them only after the randomisation process which took place on Friday. Kaup Constituency has a total of 207 polling booths.
Shalini, teacher at Viveka Government High School, Udupi, who was designated as polling officer and allocated the booth at Kalathur-Santhekatte, said that she was satisfied with the arrangements made by the administration. “Unlike the previous times, it is much better this time,” she said.
