Election Commission of India has issued instructions regarding seating arrangements for candidates and their agents at counting tables. The seating arrangements will be as per priority rows.
Recognised national parties’ candidates will be in the first row, other recognised political parties’ candidates in the second row and the third row will be reserved for candidates of the political parties to whom the commission has permitted to use their reserved election symbols.
The next row will be for agents of recognised national parties and independent candidates who will sit at the tables allotted to them. They will be prohibited to loiter in the counting hall. Additional counting agents can observe entire process sitting on their seats. One person or candidate or his agent will be allowed in the hall to avoid its crowding. Candidates and their agents will not be allowed to go round the hall.
Additional table can be set up in case of excessive postal ballots. As per Election Commission of India’s directives, this arrangement can be made through mutual consent between returning officer and supervisor.
Responsibility of postal ballots’ counting will be handed over to one returning officer (RO). The returning officer and the supervisor will carefully inspect simultaneous counting process of both EVM votes and postal ballots. On declaration of results after completion of counting, observers will specially mention process of counting of postal ballots in their final reports,
Supervisors will satisfy themselves about explicit situation of vote counting and select 2 EVMs on random basis at the end of every round for parallel verification. Commission has also directed that an officer of the commission will be deputed on every counting table as counting micro observer. He will ensure that transparency has been maintained in counting process and table of votes has been prepared properly at every table.
The commission has given permission that supervisor can deploy an additional micro observer in every counting hall.The micro observer can check EVMs randomly and report to supervisor.
The commission has directed to install separate video-camera at every counting table since the commission wishes to ensure maximum transparency. Recording will commence from start of display on EVM till the end of counting in such a way that it can be ready easily.
CDs of these video-recording will have to be safely maintained with district election officer. The commission has directed to install electronic display screen (television monitor) at every counting table in such a way that counting agents can see it easily. Then video camera will be recording EMS display, the process will be simultaneously visible on television screen which can be noted down by counting agents.