ECI makes key change in vote counting process ahead of high stakes poll battle in Bihar

On Thursday, the Indian Election Commission (ECI) announced another major change in the election process and this time focused on the counting of postal votes.

The movement comes as part of the 30th attempt in the last six months to facilitate voting and counting procedures only months before the high -risk Bihar Assembly elections.

Currently, the voting count has two parallel components: Mail ballot compasses/e -compasses (ETPBs) and electronic voting machines (EVMs).
On the Census Day, the Count of Post Votes starts at 8:00 in the morning, then the house count at 08:30. In accordance with the previous rules, the Count of EVM may continue even if the census of the mail ballot is not yet completed and increases the likelihood of notification of results before the postal ballot examination.

Considering the sharp increase in the post -voting compasses of the disabled and citizens aged 85 years and older, the election commission has brought new measures to provide uniformity and clarity.

In the future, the previous EVM and VVPAT count tour will take place only after the completion of the mail vote count in the centers where the latter continues. ECI also returned officers (ROS), wherever the number of postal votes is high, the prevention of the last step, where the bucket is not targeted, led to an increase in the last step. According to ECI, India’s election system.

Wave of reform every six months

The latest directive is part of a larger wave of reform published by ECI in recent months. These cover six wide areas:

Comfort of voters: For Mobile Deposit Facilities voting stations, it limits Stand voters to 1,200 to reduce the color photos of the candidates in crowded, redesigned voter information shifts and more clarity of EVMs. Candidate cabinets were allowed to vote for voters for facilitating voters.

Strengthening of selection systems: ECI examined 808 registered indifferent political parties (RUPPS) for publishing the papers of 28 lock stakeholders (RUPPS) and introduced new Sops for confirmation of EVM micro -controllers for publishing 28 key stakeholders’ matching roles to cabin level officers (BLOS) standard photography identity cards. Legal capacity was increased with a national conference with bilateral participation with consultants and global election management bodies.

Participation with Political Parties: More than 4,700 party meetings were held nationwide and 25 meetings were held with well -known national and state parties.

Developed Use of Technology: The launch of Ecinet, a digital platform from a single point that reinforces more than 40 applications, provided 100% web broadcasting of voting stations and live participation reports through a new mobile application. In case of disputes, aerodynamic data production was also introduced for voter level reports and compulsory vppat count.

The purity of election rolls: Special intensive revisions in Bihar are among the measures aimed at providing a new Sop, clean roll for fasting epic delivery by connecting death record data, eliminating repeated epic numbers and SMS monitoring.

Capacity Development: Training initiatives were expanded to more than 7,000 BLOS and supervisors, cabin -level agents (Blas), media officials and police staff and increasing fees for voting and counting personnel, central powers and observers.