EVM with VVPAT.
Credit: DH Photo/S K Dinesh
Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases beginning from April 19 and the counting of votes will take place on June 4 for the world's biggest election exercise. While the voting period for these general elections will be spread over 44 days, let us understand what happens on the counting day.
Who has the responsibility of vote counting?
The responsibly of conducting elections in each constituency, along with counting of votes lies with the Returning Officer (RO) who is nominated by the Election Commission of India(ECI).
Where does the counting happen?
While date and the time of the counting is pre-determined by the ECI, the RO decides where the votes will be counted. Ideally, counting should take place in one location, but in case the parliamentary constituency has multiple assembly segments, counting can take place in different locations under Assistant Returning Officer's (ARO) supervision.
What is the process of counting votes?
The RO appoints counting supervisors through a three-stage randomisation process to count votes. The process of vote counting begins with the counting of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballots (ETPB) and Postal Ballots (PB), under the direct supervison of the RO. After 30 minutes, even if all the PBs have not been counted, the EVMs can begin counting. While this happens, the candidate along with their counting agents and election agents are present.
What is VVPAT matching?
One EVM from each assembly segment is randomly selected for VVPAT matching. The verification process takes place inside VVPAT Counting Booth inside the counting hall that only authorised people can access. As per the Supreme Court, VVPAT slips of five polling stations(randomly selected) must be matched with the EVM results under the personal supervision of the RO or the ARO.