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Preferential voting in Council polls

District administration enlightens electorate; Only violet ink allowed for marking
Last Updated 15 December 2009, 18:02 IST

Questions such as marking numbers or the order of preference are bothering the voters. The district administration has said that letters educating the voters in this regard have been dispatched.

“While it is not wrong to cast preference votes by writing 1 in front of the candidate’s name, the voting process doesn’t end there itself. It is the right as well as responsibility of the voter to indicate his preference for the rest of the candidates. This gives an edge for a candidate with winning chances. The unique counting of votes is the principal reason for this,” informed Additional Deputy Commissioner S N Gangadhariah. The DC also happens to be the Election Officer.

Five in fray
There are five candidates in fray from Kolar-Chikkaballapur constituency. At first, the ballot papers will be segregated as valid, invalid and doubtful. The valid votes will be considered for counting.

A number - 50 pc of the votes plus one - will be determined as the winning majority. (For example, out of the 2,000 votes cast, a candidate will have to secure 1,001 votes to win the polls). The first preference votes will be counted initially and the ballot papers will be put in a tray.

The counting comes to end if any candidate secures the requisite number of votes. However, second round of counting will be taken up if no candidate secures that number of votes. At this stage, the candidate who has secured least number of votes in the first round will be dropped.

Then, the second preference votes of such candidate will be considered. The process is repeated if no winner emerges in the second round. This way, the counting of first preference votes are completed in the first round itself.
The possibilities of a candidate who has secured highest first preference votes in the first round securing no votes in the second round are more.

Voting method
The voters will have to indicate their preference with numbers in violet colour sketch pen. Any markings with other pen or pencils will be considered invalid. Only one preference will have to be indicated for one candidate.
The voter can caste as many preference votes as there are candidates. But, indication of first preference is mandatory and the vote becomes invalid if no first preference is indicated. The numbers should be written in any number system - Roman or Hindu Arabic - in practice in India. Putting signature, thumb impression, writing, will render an vote invalid.

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(Published 15 December 2009, 18:02 IST)

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