TN polls: Counting of votes on May 4 at 62 centres; postal ballots first
Chennai, April 28
The counting of votes polled in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections held on April 23 will be undertaken on May 4 across 62 counting centres in the state, election officials said.
The counting process will commence sharply at 8.00 a.m., beginning with postal ballots. After a gap of 30 minutes, at 8.30 a.m., counting of votes recorded in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will begin.
Officials clarified that the final round of EVM counting will be taken up only after the completion of postal ballot counting. At each counting centre, separate arrangements have been made for postal ballots and EVM votes, with designated halls and counting tables for each.
To ensure smooth supervision, officers at the level of Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) have been appointed independently for both segments. Postal ballots will be counted at a ratio of one table for every 500 ballots.
Out of the 3.60 lakh officials deployed for election duty, as many as 2.88 lakh personnel (around 80 per cent) exercised their franchise through postal ballots after registering as voters. In addition, personnel from the police department, zonal and sector officers, and officials engaged in election monitoring teams were also eligible for postal voting. In total, about 3.36 lakh election personnel cast their votes through postal ballots, while another 1.10 lakh officials voted in person at polling stations after obtaining Election Duty Certificates (EDC).
Special provisions were also extended to elderly voters aged 85 years and above, as well as persons with disabilities.
Under Form 12D, a total of 1.73 lakh such voters availed the postal ballot facility and cast their votes from home.
Service voters, including armed forces personnel, also participated in the electoral process, with around 18,000 ballots received so far. Their postal ballots will be accepted until 8.00 a.m. on the day of counting.
Overall, apart from those who voted at polling stations, arrangements were made to facilitate voting for an additional 6.37 lakh voters through various special provisions, reflecting an expanded and inclusive electoral exercise.
— IANS
Reader Comments
3.36 lakh election officials using postal ballots - that's a huge number! Shows how many people are involved in conducting free and fair elections in our democracy. Each vote matters, especially in close contests.
I appreciate the separate arrangements for postal ballots and EVM counting - it reduces confusion. But why start EVM counting only after postal ballots? Shouldn't both happen simultaneously to save time? 🤔
Encouraging to see 1.73 lakh elderly and disabled voters using Form 12D to vote from home. This is true inclusive democracy in action. 👏👏
Counting at 62 centres across TN - that's good decentralisation. Let's hope the results reflect the will of the people. Our democracy is strong but we need to keep improving transparency at every step.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.