CHENNAI: Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik on Monday said 3.14 lakh people have enrolled as voters in Tamil Nadu since the publication of the final electoral rolls on February 23. Addressing a press conference at the secretariat, Patnaik said the total number of voters in the state stood at 5.69 crore as of March 15. This includes 2.90 crore women, 2.78 crore men and 7,656 third-gender persons.
The CEO said eligible voters can enrol their names in the electoral rolls until March 16, and the Election Commission of India (ECI) aims to issue voter ID cards within 15 days of accepting applications. Political parties have been instructed to apply for permission to hold public meetings through the Suvidha portal, and such requests must be submitted online.
With the Model Code of Conduct coming into force, election officials have intensified surveillance across the state. Cash and goods worth `1.26 crore have been seized since Sunday evening, she said.
Patnaik said 2,106 flying squads have been deployed and static surveillance teams are also monitoring the election process. She urged voters to verify whether their names are included in the electoral rolls through the ECI website, adding that booth-level officers would assist voters in the process.
She said 50 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have already arrived in Tamil Nadu, and more companies will be deployed in the coming days.
Election Commission observers will assume duty in the state once the nomination process begins.
Responding to a query, the CEO said officials have been instructed not to trouble people carrying cash if they possess valid documents. The CEO also said the ECI has framed guidelines for AI-generated election-related content on social media, and monitoring of such activities has already begun.