BENGALURU: This Lok Sabha elections be watchful while carrying your mobile phones to polling booths. For, there will be restrictions on their use on the premises of the booths.
Officials from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Karnataka, said that there will be thorough frisking of people going to the booths. There will be a special place where voters will be asked to keep their phones before going in to exercise their franchise.
“There are instances where people do not adhere to rules. There have also been instances where people have been caught taking photographs or making videos while voting. So, it has been decided to place a tray near the table of the presiding officers to keep the mobile phones. The tray will be guarded by police or election officials,” an official said.
The decision is left to the discretion of the presiding officer on whether to insist on keeping the phones in the tray or ensure that they are on silent mode while voting. In some cases, the election officials have decided not to allow phones inside the booths as it is only a matter of a few seconds, keeping in mind secrecy while voting, the official said.
“The same was done during the last Assembly elections. However there were complaints of people trying to use their phones for various reasons. We are not saying not to take the phones to the booths. We are only saying that the voters should not use them while voting,” the official said. The matter was discussed at a meeting attended by the CEO, deputy commissioners and other election officers, the official added.