Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar dismissed apprehensions about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and assured people that their vote was safe and secure.

Kumar asserted that the EVMs were 100 per cent safe as a large number of safeguards - technological, administrative and process-oriented - were in place.

"It is a settled issue. It is 100 per cent safe. It has been raised in the honourable Court also. We are awaiting judgment, nothing can happen to the machines. Every stage political parties and their candidates are involved. Mock polls are done," he said to questions on doubts raised on the EVMs.

The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections got underway across 102 constituencies in 21 states and union territories on Friday. "We are getting reports from the field that even if rains are happening, people are really coming out in large numbers. Women, youth, old age people… everyone is rushing towards the polling stations. It is really a delightful situation to see that people are dancing to the tune of democracy," Kumar said.

He said the Election Commission has used technology to a great extent to ensure better voter turnout by reaching out to the youth and women voters by mapping parliamentary constituencies where voting has been traditionally less.

"A turn out plan was made depending on the local context. Lots of celebrities were roped in, a number of organisations have worked with us - petrol pumps, banks, post offices in the outreach program," Kumar said.

"We are very hopeful that people will come out to vote. It is our appeal, please join in this festival of democracy.. youth, women, transgender, PwD, all geographies...It is your right, your duty, your responsibility, your pride," the CEC said. Kumar, along with fellow Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and S S Sandhu, was monitoring the progress of the election process from the control room set up at the Election Commission headquarters here.