Kottayam district administration has begun comprehensive preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections, with the first phase of voting machine inspection commencing at the APJ Abdul Kalam Auditorium. This process, overseen by the District Election Officer, involves verifying 1,791 polling booths' equipment, including control and ballot units, and VVPAT machines. The 22-day inspection, conducted by Revenue Department officials and Bharat Electronics Limited engineers, ensures only functional machines are deployed for the elections.