In the quiet village of Vellivoyal chavadi, within the Ponneri Taluk resting on the outskirts of Chennai there is an unusual bustle. This was on 23rd April 2026, the day of the state elections in Tamil Nadu.
C. Malarvizhi, the village administrative officer (VAO) narrates the events of the day in detail. With Chennai experiencing a voter turnout of 83.73% the election day came with its own hidden struggles.
Preparations however have been well done beforehand with chairs and drinking water available for the long queue of people waiting in the scorching Chennai heat. The elderly were also given first priority along with voters carrying young children, she said.
The voters consisted of many youngsters as well as the elderly, with many abandoning their day-to-day activities for voting.
This act of many displaying their constitutional right under section 62(1) of the Representation of people’s act (RPA) 1951, exhibits the political awareness instilled in many, especially the youth with the introduction of new parties and ideologies.
The village administrative officer conveys more of the day’s events emphasising the huge security measures taken according to the rules of the State Election Commission, as there were CCTV cameras installed in every booth with a police officer appointed for each as well.
The 100 meter marking and the 200 meter marking also show the rigid conditions imposed by the commission. With strict rules to show no sign of any political symbol after the 100 meter mark and no political party members and large vehicles allowed beyond the 200 meter mark, the conditions the polls were strictly adhered to.
“The work for us starts quite early – as early as 5:30 AM.” , explains the VAO. The Returning Officer (RO) would hold a mock election at 5:30 in the morning after receiving the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), the day before. After checking the conditions of the machine at 7 AM the real voting would begin.
However the work doesn’t end until late for the officers, as after the polling is declared closed the machine is closed and sealed in front of the other officials and witnesses. This would only be done after the manual marking (male-female voter numbers), agent marking numbers, EVM numbers and finally the VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) numbers are tallied by the end of the day.
Cover Photo: A newly-wed couple cast their votes just after their wedding
All photos by Anushka A
Student Intern during April – June 2026