ECI Making All Arrangements For Counting

Chennai:The Election Commission of India (ECI) has set the final polling figures for the April 23 Assembly elections at 85.10 per cent and said authorities have made all final arrangements for counting of votes at 62 centers in all 38 districts in the state on Monday (May 4).

Among the districts, Kanyakumari recorded the lowest voting percentage on April 23, with only 75.55 per cent of voters turning up to exercise their right to vote; Salem recorded the highest voting percentage at 90.75 and the capital Chennai saw a voter turnout of 83.68 percent.

The EVMs, shifted to powerful chambers across the State and kept under tight security by forces drawn from military organisations, special police and State police squads, will be brought to the counting tables on the morning of May 4 and placed at the tables where enumerators of all registered parties keep a close eye on the process.

While there is a counting center in each district, there are 5 counting centers in Madurai, 4 each in Salem and Cuddalore, 3 each in Chennai, Thiruvallur, Villupuram, Thanjavur and Chengalpattu, and two each in Erode, Tiruvannamalai and Kallakurichi.

According to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik, postal ballots will be counted first thing on May 4 at 8 am at counting centres, where the final counting of votes cast on electronic voting machines (EVMs) will begin only after all postal votes are counted.

Listing out the procedures to be followed at 62 counting centers in his statement on Monday, Patnaik said that votes cast in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be counted in rounds from 8.30 am and a section at each center will be reserved for postal ballots.

Separate Assistant Returning Officers (ARO Level) will supervise each section and postal ballots will be counted at the rate of one desk for every 500 postal votes, Patnaik said, adding that out of 3.60 lakh officials deployed for election duty, 2.88 lakh (80%) who registered and applied for postal ballots cast their ballots.

Taking into account police personnel, District/Sector officers and surveillance team members, a total of 3.36 lakh officials on election duty cast their votes through postal mail, while 1.10 lakh officials voted directly at polling stations using their Election Duty Certificates (EDCs), he said.

As per Form 12D applications, a total of 1.73 lakh voters (consisting of age 85+ and Persons with Disability) voted and cast their votes by post. So far, 18,000 Service Voters have voted and postal votes will be accepted until 08:00 on the day of counting.

He said that beyond those voting at polling stations, arrangements were made to facilitate voting for 6.37 lakh more voters and their votes were successfully collected.