"Preparations for vote counting complete, measures in place to make process transparent": Kerala Chief Electoral Officer

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], June 1 (ANI): Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul on Saturday said that all 20 centres in the state are prepared for the vote counting of the Lok Sabha election. The counting will be on June 4. The officer also asserted that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure that the vote-counting process is transparent and secure.
In a press release issued by Chief Electoral Officer, Sanjay Kaul asserted that vote counting will begin at 8 am, starting with the postal ballots. "The counting of votes from the voting machines will commence half an hour after the counting of postal ballots begins.
Only counting supervisors, counting assistants, micro observers, Election Commission representatives, observers, government officials on election duty, candidates, and their election agents will be allowed into the counting hall," he said.
The Kerala CEO in the press release further informed that the counting agents will receive a badge from the Returning Officer indicating the candidate's name and the designated table number. Except for the Election Commission's observer, no one is authorized to use mobile phones inside the counting room, Kaul said.
Giving further details on the counting, Kaul said, "Each assembly constituency will have a separate hall for counting votes, with a maximum of 14 tables in each hall. Each table will have a counting supervisor, a gazetted rank officer, a counting assistant, and a micro observer to ensure the transparency of the counting process."
He further informed that the officers for vote counting are appointed through a three-stage randomization process. "The first stage was completed on May 17. The second and third randomizations will occur at 8:00 am on June 3 and 5:00 am on June 4," he said.
Kaul further added, "In the second stage, staff will be appointed according to assembly constituencies. On the day of counting, the details of the counting tables will be provided to the staff."
Elaborating on the vote counting process, the press release quoted Kaul as saying, "When the counting begins, the strong rooms will be opened in the presence of the Returning Officer, Assistant Returning Officer, candidates or their election agents, and Election Commission observers. After making an entry in the logbook, the lock will be opened with video coverage."
He added, "First, electronically transmitted postal ballots and postal ballots will be counted. This will be done at the Returning Officer's table. The counting of votes from the voting machines will begin within the next half hour. The control units of the voting machines will be used for counting. The number of votes polled recorded in Form 17C and the respective control units will be placed on the counting table."
The Chief Electoral Officer further informed, "After the control unit is brought to the counting table, the counting supervisor, in the presence of the counting agents, will ensure that the machine is intact before breaking the seal. The results button on each machine will be pressed by the supervisor, and the votes for each candidate will be displayed and recorded in the presence of the agents. After counting all the voting machines in each round, the Election Commission observer will randomly select any two machines to verify the recorded count."
Kaul informed that after verification, the results of that round will be tabulated and announced by the Returning Officer. The Returning Officer will then instruct the next set of voting machines to be brought for counting after clearing the counted machines.
In the press release, Kaul also asserted that the verification of VVPAT slips will only be done after the counting of all voting machines is completed. "VVPAT slips from five randomly selected polling stations in each assembly constituency will be counted. It may take at least one hour to count the slips from one VVPAT machine. Only after this will the final result be declared. Election day will be a dry day, and the sale or distribution of alcohol or other intoxicants will be prohibited," Kaul said.
Meanwhile, the seventh and final phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections is on June 1 across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
The polling for the last phase started on Saturday at 7 am in the 57 parliamentary constituencies spread across seven states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
According to the Election Commission of India, over 10.06 crore electors, including approximately 5.24 crore male, 4.82 crore female, and 3,574 third-gender electors, are expected to exercise their franchise.
After the conclusion of voting, the outcome of exit polls will be aired on various TV channels.
The Election Commission has issued a ban on exit polls from 7 am on April 19 to 6:30 pm on June 1, till the conclusion of polling. The high-voltage campaigning for the final phase of the Lok Sabha polls ended on Thursday.
Polling for the earlier six phases of the Lok Sabha elections was held on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, and May 25. Assembly polls have also been held in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. (ANI)