With the completion of polling in Jharkhand, the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Jharkhand on Monday organised a training programme for electoral officers and assistant electoral officers on its premises. The counting of votes will be done on May 23 across the country with first trend likely to be available by afternoon. In State Capital, the counting of votes will be done at Agriculture Marketing Board, Pandra.
Chief Electoral Officer, L Khiangte addressing the training programme said, “The electoral officers and assistant electoral officers looking after the counting of votes have to follow the guidelines of Election Commission of India (ECI). If there is any confusion regarding counting of votes from any staff, then assistant electoral officers should inform the electoral officers.”
Directives have been issued to officers, who have been assigned the jobs of counting of votes. The counting of votes will be carried out in four rounds. In the first round pre counting of votes, service voters who have exercised Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) votes will be counted. In the second round, votes in Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) will be counted. In the third round there will be matching of VVPAT slips with votes. In fourth round process to seal the EVM and VVPAT machine will be done.
Vinay Kumar Choubey, Additional Chief Electoral Officer said, “Only those postal ballots will be counted, which are available on counting day by 7.59 am.”
In the training programme, instructions were also issued to officers to follow time line, while counting of votes. Amitabh Kaushal Additional Chief Electoral Officer said, “All candidates and their poll agents will be informed when the EVM and VVPAT machines are taken out from strong rooms to counting rooms so that there is no confusion among candidates. Electoral Officers have been asked to make better arrangements at room where counting of votes is done.”
As per ECI instructions, ETPBS and postal ballot will be counted first. Those ETPBS found verified after scanning will be counted, followed by which EVM votes will be counted.
As per ECI guidelines, all candidates can have a polling agent in every table for bringing transparency in counting of votes. No polling agent will be allowed to take inside mobile phones or any other electronic gadgets. Also, police officers and security personnel will not be allowed to enter counting rooms with permission of concerned officers. Central ministers or state ministers will be debarred from entering counting room.
Meanwhile, Khiangte, on the occasion, thanked the electoral officers and staff of CEO office for peaceful completion of election. He also said that due to various awareness drives carried out by office of Chief Electoral Officer, voting percentage in many constituencies have gone up.