Himachal Pradesh state assembly elections: All you need to know

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New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday announced that the state assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh will take place on November 9 while the counting will take place on December 18. Here's a quick fact sheet of the upcoming state assembly election.

* Single-phase voting for 68 seats in the hill state will take place on November 9 and counting will take place on December 18.

* The gap between polling and counting is to accommodate Gujarat assembly elections in between, said the Election Commission of India.

* The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect.

* Among the new initiatives for polling, there is an increased emphasis on convenience for differently-abled voters. Height of voting compartment has also been increased.

* The Election Commission has announced a number of steps it would be taking in the Himachal Pradesh polls. The election will see the use of Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) with all Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The VVPAT flash will be displayed for seven seconds to allow for verification.

* For the first time Himachal Pradesh will have 136 all women managed booths.

* The term of the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly comes to an end on January 7, 2018.