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STATE POLLS IN NOVEMEBR END

Considered a semi-final before the Lok Sabha polls, assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Mizoram will be held in a single phase between November 25 and December 4, while it will be two- phased in Chhattisgarh on November 11 and 19.
Counting of votes in all the states will be on December 8, Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath announced. While Madhya Pradesh will go to polls on November 25 to elect its 230-member assembly, elections for the 200-member Rajasthan assembly will be held on December 1. Assembly polls in Delhi with 70 constituencies and Mizoram with 40 seats will be held on December 4.
Voters will for the first time also exercise the "None of the Above" (NOTA) option during these assembly polls after the Supreme Court allowed it in a recent judgement. The Commission is making arrangements so that voters can exercise this option and will create awareness on it.
"The Commission is working out details and steps for introducing NOTA in this election itself," Sampath said. In another first, the EC will also deploy "awareness observers" to oversee management of the electoral process and help bridge the gap in people's participation to ensure higher voter turnout and also check the menace of "paid news". 
A total of 630 assembly constituencies in five states will go to polls in which a total of 11.60 crore voters are likely to exercise their franchise. The poll process will be initiated on October 18 with the issue of notification for the first phase of elections in Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh to elect its 90-member assembly.

FIRST NOTA OPTION
For the first time, the Election Commission will provide 'none of the above' option button in EVMs for the 11 crore voters who will exercise their franchise in the five states going to polls beginning next month. Announcing the schedule for assembly elections in Delhi, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath said here today that the Election Commission is taking necessary steps to make available the none of the above (NOTA) option for voters in the electronic voting machines.
Till now, this option is not available to voters on ballot papers and EVMs. Voters so far had to register their option of NOTA in a register under Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Election Rules, thus compromising secrecy. In its September 27 judgement, the Supreme Court had directed the EC to provide NOTA option on ballot papers and EVMs. 
 

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