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New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced the completion of the first randomization process of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units for the second phase of the upcoming general elections in Bihar. This process was adopted on October 13, 2025 after the first level checking (FLC) of all the machines in the 20 districts earmarked for voting in this phase. According to the ECI, “The first randomization was done through the EVM Management System (EMS) by the DEOs in the presence of representatives of national and state recognized political parties.” After randomization, a total of 53,806 ballot units, 53,806 control units and 57,746 VVPATs were allotted to 122 assembly constituencies, comprising a total of 45,388 polling stations. “Constituency-wise lists of randomized EVMs and VVPATs were shared with representatives of all national and state recognized political parties at the respective district headquarters,” the poll panel said in its press note. This process will also be done in the presence of political party representatives to ensure complete transparency and adherence to election protocol. Strict security measures will be in place around the clock at all storage facilities. The Commission also clarified that once the list of contesting candidates is officially finalized, they will also be provided with the same random list of EVMs and VVPATs for cross-verification and procedural compliance. The high-stakes Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases. In the first phase, 121 constituencies will go to polls on November 6, while in the second phase, 122 constituencies will go to polls on November 11. Counting of votes will take place on November 14, the Election Commission announced on October 6. –IANS SAS/DAN