Realtime data on counting

The fates of 427 candidates have been electronically sealed in 75,010 EVMs during the two phase polls to the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The counting of votes will be taken-up at the respective districts headquarters, including three counting centres in Bangalore City.

According to official sources, the Election Commission has mandated the use of “Genesys software”, a web-based technology, that will enable computerised counting, computing and also transmission of the data to the EC from the counting centres.

Using the software, Returning Officers will upload the results to the EC website (www.eci.gov.in) as soon as each round of counting is completed. Anyone with an internet connection can do a constituency-wise check to see who’s ahead. The first trends will start trickling in by 10 am.

Bangalore Urban Deputy Commissioner G N Nayak, who is also the Returning Officer of Bangalore North parliamentary constituency, said the computerisation had resulted in his counting centres being networked with a total of 30 computers connected to the main server of the EC and linked by the NIC.

The number of rounds in a constituency would be determined by the polling stations and EVMs used in that constituency. At the counting centre, each table will be monitored by a micro-observer appointed by the EC and also a supervisor. The micro-observer will report to the Election Observer, while the supervisor will report to the Returning Officer through the Assistant Returning Officer.  Each counting centres on an average will have about 16 tables, officials said.

Police officials said prohibitory orders will be clamped in an area within the radius of two km from the counting centres to prevent any untoward incidents. Sale of liquor has also been prohibited on the day of counting.