Una, May 25: The administration has completed all necessary preparations to conduct the General Elections-2026 for Panchayati Raj Institutions in District Una in a peaceful, secure, and organized manner. To ensure the successful conduct of the election process, the district administration has put in place comprehensive arrangements. Ahead of the first phase of elections scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) in the district, polling parties have already departed for their respective destinations.
The Panchayat elections in the district will be conducted in three phases. In each phase, the voting process will commence at 7:00 AM and continue until 3:00 PM. Upon the conclusion of voting, the counting of ballots for the posts of Pradhan (Head), Up-Pradhan (Deputy Head), and Ward Members will be conducted at designated centers within the respective Panchayats.
Additionally, the counting of votes cast for District Council and Panchayat Samiti members will take place on May 31 at designated counting centers. The administration has ensured all necessary arrangements to conduct the election process in a fair, transparent, and smooth manner.

**Elections to be Held Here in the First Phase**
In the first phase of elections in District Una, scheduled for May 26, voting will take place in a total of 86 Gram Panchayats across all sub-divisions. These include 19 Gram Panchayats in the Amb sub-division, 19 in Bangana, 14 in Gagret, 18 in Una, and 16 in the Haroli sub-division.

**Total of 378,021 Voters to Exercise Their Franchise Across Three Phases**
Providing details regarding the elections, the District Election Officer stated that a total of 378,021 voters are registered in District Una, comprising 190,767 males, 187,252 females, and 2 third-gender voters. He further informed that out of a total of 249 Panchayats in the district, elections will now be held in 244 Panchayats. A total of 2,139 Panchayat functionaries were to be elected in the district, out of whom 706 representatives have already been elected unopposed. Voting will now be conducted for the remaining 1,433 posts. Additionally, five Panchayats in the district have been elected entirely unopposed; these include Pandoga Lower, Jakhewal, Binewal, Udaipur, and Bohru Panchayats.

**4,049 Candidates in the Electoral Fray in the District**
The Deputy Commissioner stated that a total of 4,049 candidates are in the electoral fray for various posts across Una district. These include 45 District Council members, 416 Panchayat Samiti members, 849 *Pradhans* (Heads), 930 *Up-Pradhans* (Deputy Heads), and 1,809 Ward members.

**Sensitive and Hyper-Sensitive Polling Booths**
Out of all the polling booths in Una district, 669 have been identified as falling under the categories of 'sensitive' and 'hyper-sensitive.' Meanwhile, out of all the polling stations in the district, 149 fall into the sensitive and hyper-sensitive categories. These comprise 93 sensitive and 56 hyper-sensitive polling stations.
Furthermore, 101 counting centers in the district have been categorized as sensitive or hyper-sensitive. Of these, 64 counting centers have been identified as sensitive and 37 as hyper-sensitive. Additionally, five counting centers designated for the District Council and Panchayat Samiti elections have also been identified as falling within the sensitive and hyper-sensitive categories.

**Carrying Proof of Identity Will Be Mandatory**
The Deputy Commissioner informed that on the day of voting, it will be mandatory for voters to carry their Voter ID cards for identification purposes. If a voter does not possess a Voter ID card, they will be required to present one of the 17 alternative identity documents recognized by the Election Commission. These include passports, driving licenses, Income Tax Identity Cards, photo-bearing service identity cards issued to employees by State or Central Governments, Public Sector Undertakings, or Public Limited Companies; Kisan Passbooks or photo-bearing passbooks issued by banks or post offices; Ration Cards; Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, or Other Backward Class certificates issued by a competent authority; Student Identity Cards; property-related documents such as leases or registered deeds; Arms Licenses; Conductor Licenses issued by a Transport Officer; pension records (such as Ex-servicemen Pension Books or PPOs); certificates issued to the widows or dependents of ex-servicemen; Railway or Bus Passes; Disability Certificates; Freedom Fighter Certificates; and Aadhaar Cards.