About 181 polling officials and 96 security personnel will be in the 32 polling booths in Paro today.

Nine officials including three security personnel left for the polling stations at Tshendu Gang in Nagya gewog yesterday, which is a 12 hours drive from Paro.

Election officials said the polling team has to travel through Ganglakha, Dungna and Metekha in Chukha, crossing the same river three times to reach the polling station.

The office of the returning officer handed over the electronic voting machines (EVMs) to the rest of the polling officials yesterday at Wangchang gewog centre.

He said the polling team consisting of nine officials including the security personnel for the polling station at Soe Dzong and Nubri would leave today at 5am. The polling stations in Tsento gewog are about 12 hours walk from Shana, which is 14 kilometres north of Paro.

Returning Officer Sherub Gyeltshen said two sets of EVM would be provided to each polling station. “They actually need only one. The other one is for back-up just in case if some problem occurs.”

Election officials said all EVMs were tested and sealed before it was handed over to the polling officials.

Sherub Gyeltshen said 11 polling stations would have five officials and three security personnel.

The polling teams will set up EVMs and other facilities inside the polling stations starting today. Six counting officials will be based at the counting centre in Wangchang. The officials will start opening envelope A of the received conventional postal ballot today. The postal ballots will be segregated based on gender and checked for identification declaration certificate.

Of the 983 conventional postal ballots issued, the office has received 767 until April 16.

Dechen Tshomo | Paro