Robot in saree greets voters at Puducherry Assembly poll booth
text_fields
New Delhi: In a unique initiative to enhance voter experience and attract young electors, an elector-friendly robot dressed in a saree welcomed visitors at a polling station during the Puducherry Assembly elections on Thursday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said.
Sharing a video of the robot on social media, the ECI remarked, “Welcome with swag. A robot is welcoming electors at a polling station in Puducherry!! It’s a day of duty and responsibility, let’s go vote!”
The video shows the robot holding a tray, with red-lit eyes scanning approaching visitors and roller-equipped feet enabling mobility.
This technological demonstration coincided with polling in the Union Territory, where voters cast their ballots to elect a new 30-member Assembly. The results are scheduled to be announced on May 4.
The initiative also aligned with the ongoing visit of 43 delegates from 23 countries, including representatives from five foreign missions in Delhi, as part of the first phase of the International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP) 2026.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar inaugurated IEVP 2026 on Tuesday, enabling international delegates to observe the Assembly elections across five states and Union Territories.
During the inauguration at the India International Institute for Democracy and Election Management, he described elections in India as “festivals of democracy” and encouraged participants to explore the country’s diversity while learning from its electoral processes.
He also announced that in the second phase of the programme, delegates will visit West Bengal and Tamil Nadu from April 20 onwards.
At IIIDEM in Delhi, delegates were given a demonstration of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and participated in a mock poll to gain hands-on experience of the voting process. They showed keen interest in India’s technological innovations and administrative safeguards in elections, engaging in interactive sessions with experts to clarify their queries.
With IANS inputs
