Given the vast number of voters, the vote counting process is extensive.Thousands of officers are involved in counting votes across various parts of India. To ensure a smooth process, the Election Commission (EC) has decentralised the vote counting, which occurs simultaneously at counting stations in each of the 543 constituencies across the country. Here’s how the votes for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 are being counted:
The vote counting procedure
The vote counting began today at 8 AM. The process involves several detailed steps, here’s an overview:
- Unsealing EVMs: The electronic voting machines (EVMs) are unsealed in the presence of representatives from all political parties.
- Counting Postal Ballots: The counting of postal ballots begins first, followed by the EVM vote counting, which starts half an hour later.
- Counting EVM Votes: Votes registered across all EVMs in a parliamentary constituency are counted. The results are then announced and recorded on a blackboard before moving to the next round.
Electronic Verification : This is conducted electronically using the EVM’s in-built features. The Election Commission implemented the VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) system in 2013 to verify the counting results and ensure the proper functioning of EVMs.- VVPAT Verification: VVPAT is connected to all EVMs. When a vote is cast, the VVPAT system generates a corresponding paper slip, which is visible to the voter for about seven seconds before falling into a secure box.
- Random Verification: On counting day, the ECI verifies EVM results from five randomly selected assembly segments per constituency.
- Declaration of Results: Once all measures are taken and the final tally is reached, the winning candidate of the parliamentary constituency is declared.
Rounds of counting
In each round of counting, votes from 14 EVMs are counted under the supervision of the returning officer. This occurs in a large hall. At the end of each round, the results from 14 EVMs are declared. The results of five random EVMs from every assembly segment are verified against the VVPAT. After counting all EVM votes, electronically transferred postal ballots, and postal ballots, the returning officer declares the constituency’s results.
If there is a discrepancy between the EVM results and the VVPAT results, the VVPAT results will be used. There is no official statement on whether such a discrepancy will lead to a recount or verification of all other EVMs in the constituency.
What are postal ballots?
Postal ballots facilitate absentee voting in India. The following groups of people are eligible for postal ballots:
- Military and government workers on election duty who are away from home.
- People who cannot go to the polling station due to work, sickness, or disability.
- Election workers at a different polling station.
- Those detained before the election.
- As per the Supreme Court, postal ballots must be counted and declared first. In 2019, this was not followed, leading to an outcry in constituencies where the margin of victory was less than the number of postal ballots.
The last phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 took place on June 1, and the counting of votes began today, June 4, at AM. The Election Commission of India announced guidelines for the counting process on Monday. The counting is currently ongoing, with the final outcomes expected to be announced by the evening.
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