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How votes will be counted?
Why in news?
- 60 crore votes locked in EVMs will be counted today as the world’s largest democratic exercise nears culmination.
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- Who will be in charge of the counting?(1) ECI specifies that the counting of votes is to be done by the Returning Officer (RO).(2) RO is an officer or a local authority nominated by the Commission for each constituency.(3) Assistant Returning Officers too, are legally empowered to supervise the counting, and they take over especially if the RO has been assigned more than one constituency.
- Where will the votes be counted?(1) Rule 51 of The Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, says that the place of counting is decided by the RO and while it should “preferably” be at the RO’s headquarters in the constituency.(2) There will be no legal objection even if the place so fixed is outside the limit of the constituency.(3) Each Assembly constituency is to be counted in separate hall and under no circumstances can the counting of more than one Assembly constituency be taken simultaneously in a hall.
- How will counting centers be secured?(1) 100-metre periphery around a counting premise/campus has to be made a pedestrian zone and barricaded.(2) A three-tier security cordon manned by the police, the State Armed Police, and Central Armed Police Forces(3) Proper barricading of the path used for transporting EVMs between the strong room of an AC (Assembly constituency) and the counting hall for that AC should be done so that the transportation is not interrupted by the presence of non-officials and media persons.(4) No one except the following can enter the counting hall: Counting supervisers, counting assistants, and micro-observers; ECI-authorised individuals and Observers; public servants on election duty.
- Who will be doing the actual counting?(1) The RO appoints the counting staff.(2) For each table, there is one counting supervisor preferably be Gazetted officers, one counting assistant, and one Micro-Observer.
- The counting officials are randomised in three stages:(1) First, a week before counting, a list of 120% of the required staff is randomly generated.(2) Second, 24 hours before counting begins, Assembly constituency-wise randomization is done.(3) Third, counting tables are allotted at 5 am on the date of counting.
- What process will be followed?(1) Polled EVMs will be opened in the presence of the RO/Assistant RO(s).