ERODE: Erode, which has 15,28,758 voters, recorded 71.42% polling on Friday. Speaking to reporters after casting his vote in Sampath Nagar, district Returning Officer Raja Gopal Sunkara said, “In a few booths the machines did not work properly during the mock and actual polling. However, those issues were later rectified. After that, the polling went smoothly.”
In some polling booths, the polling took place at a fast pace. Particularly, at 12.20 pm, polling in Corporation primary school in Dindal crossed 50%. Out of a total of 700 voters, 357 voted. At the same time, polling was slow in some booths. Only 38% of votes were registered at 1 pm in the polling station (Booth number 302) set up at Government Higher Secondary School in Vellode. There was a complaint from the public that it took more time to vote at that booth. In this regard, officials said, “The number of voters in this booth is high. Also, there was a delay due to elderly voters.”
Sources said, “Polling continued after 6 pm in four booths. Voters who arrived before 6 pm were given token and polling took place.”
After the polling, all the voting machines were taken with proper security to the counting centre set up in the Chithode Government Engineering College.