NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Thursday announced that mock polls at all polling stations across the 121 constituencies in Bihar that are part of the first phase of the elections have concluded.

During the mock poll, representatives of the candidates were present, and the process included verifying the votes cast on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) against the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips, the commission added.

This mock poll is conducted to ensure that the EVMs are functioning correctly. The exercise aims to build confidence among parties in the machines, which have faced scrutiny regarding their reliability.

Additionally, the data is erased before polling begins.

Meanwhile, polling has commenced at all polling stations in the respective constituencies, the Election Commission announced.