Vote Counting Process: From Voting Booth To Counting Offices, Here’s All You Need To Know

Here are some of the most crucial components of an Indian election's counting day.

Representational Image. (Source: Getty Images)

New Delhi: After over a month of Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand, the results will be declared on March 10, 2022.

Before we look at which party wins which states, it's important to understand how the voting process works.

Here are some of the most crucial components of an Indian election's counting day.

Counting Of Votes:

Counting normally begins at 8 a.m., under the watch of the Returning Officer. Tables are set up in the counting halls, with a supervisor presiding over each one.

Each candidate's representatives or counting agents are also present. Authorities inspect the Electronic Voting Machine before counting begins.

The supervisor or an assistant does the actual counting. Postal ballots might be counted first or last.

When a round of counting, which includes data from 14 EVMs, is completed, the supervisor, counting agents, or candidates must sign, while the Returning Officer countersigns. The findings are then revealed.

This is a filmed procedure that is followed by a cross-check of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.

In the event of a dispute between the EVM and the VVPAT, the votes printed on the VVPAT slips take precedence.

EVM:

It consists of two pieces and is used to record votes. The controlling device is kept by the Presiding Officer, whereas the balloting equipment is kept within the polling station.

The Presiding Officer distributes the ballot, and the voter casts their vote by pushing the button corresponding to their preferred candidate.

An EVM can record up to 2,000 votes, and when one fails, it must be replaced.

The votes are saved in the machine's memory until they are removed. It is powered by batteries and does not require electricity.

VVPAT:

It is a machine that is connected to the EVM and can assist voters in verifying their vote.

When a voter casts a vote on the EVM, the VVPAT displays a slip for seven seconds, confirming the vote cast.

It includes the name of the candidate, the party emblem, and a serial number.

If the VVPAT does not match the vote cast, the voter must notify the Presiding Officer.