CEO office begins geofencing of polling stations across state

Ranchi: The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has initiated the process of geofencing all polling stations in the state to define their boundaries more accurately and enhance voter convenience. The CEO, K. Ravi Kumar, inaugurated the training session for officials on polling station mapping and geofencing on Wednesday.

As per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India, the number of voters per polling station should not exceed 1,200 to ensure better queue management and faster voting. To implement this effectively, geofencing is being used to digitally demarcate the boundaries of polling stations and their catchment areas.

According to Ravi Kumar, the initiative will make it easier for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to access voter information and reach households within their designated areas. Once the process is complete, every BLO will have a clearly defined area of responsibility. Through an online mobile application, voters will be able to view the location of their polling station and identify their BLO based on their current location.

A three-day training program is being held from June 11 to 13 for election officials from various districts. The training is based on a module developed using experiences from Puducherry, the Census Department, and IT experts. Participants will receive detailed instruction through PowerPoint presentations and field exercises in the Dhurwa sector, where they will prepare visual maps and mark key mapping points.

Practical exercises will be conducted in teams, followed by assessments. Officials who score below the required threshold will undergo additional training.

The session was attended by Joint Chief Electoral Officer Subodh Kumar, Deputy CEO Dev Das Dutta, other officers and staff of the CEO’s office, and election officials from various districts.