new Delhi: After more than a month of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand, the results will be declared on March 10, 2022.
Before we look at which party wins which states, it’s important to understand how the voting process works.
Here are some of the most important components of the counting day of the Indian election.
Counting of votes:
The counting of votes usually begins at 8 am under the supervision of the Returning Officer. Tables are set up in the counting hall, each headed by an observer.
Representatives or counting agents of each candidate are also present. The officials inspected the Electronic Voting Machine before the counting of votes began.
The supervisor or assistant makes the actual calculations. Postal ballots can be counted first or last.
When a round of counting is completed, which includes data from 14 EVMs, the observers, counting agents or candidates must sign, while the returning officers countersign. Then the conclusions come.
It is a filmed process followed by cross-checking of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips.
In case of dispute between EVMs and VVPATs, the votes printed on the VVPAT slips are given priority.
EVMs:
It consists of two pieces and is used to record votes. The control equipment is kept with the presiding officer, while the voting equipment is kept inside the polling station.
The Presiding Officer distributes the ballot paper and the voter casts his vote by pressing the button corresponding to the candidate of his choice.
An EVM can record up to 2,000 votes, and when one fails, it must be replaced.
Votes are saved in the machine’s memory until they are deleted. It is powered by battery and does not require electricity.
VVPAT:
It is a machine that is attached to the EVM and can help voters to verify their vote.
When a voter casts his vote on the EVM, the VVPAT displays a slip for seven seconds, which confirms the vote has been cast.
It contains the name of the candidate, the party symbol and a serial number.
If the VVPAT vote does not match with the vote cast, the voter should inform the Presiding Officer.