EXPLAINER
This is how votes will be counted for India's Lok Sabha elections using EVM on June 4.
India's multi-phase voting concluded on Saturday after seven rounds of voting over 44 days. In the mammoth electoral exercise, the largest in democratic history, 15 million electoral personnel traveled the length and breadth of the vast country to conduct voting at around 1 million polling stations, many of which were located in villages. remote areas, hills, deserts and conflict zones. zones.
Voters have braved high temperatures to cast their vote, and in all seven phases (April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1) participations of 66.1, 66.7, 61.0, 67.3, 60.5, 63.4. and 62 percent, respectively. An estimated 969 million people were registered to vote. Votes were cast using electronic voting machines (EVMs).
At stake are 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's Parliament. Votes will be counted on Tuesday, June 4.
This is how the vote counting for the elections works:
What time will votes be counted for the 2024 elections in India?
Counting for all electoral districts will begin at 08:00 (02:30 GMT) on Tuesday, June 4.
What are EVMs?
Electronic machines have been used in Indian elections since 2004 instead of ballot papers.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) developed these machines in collaboration with Bengaluru-based Bharat Electronics Ltd and Hyderabad-based Electronic Corporation of India Ltd, both government-owned companies. EVMs are battery operated so no electricity is needed for their operation. They are not connected to the Internet.
An EVM consists of two parts, which are connected by a cable:
- Control unit: It is managed by the electoral official at the polling station. It has a “vote button” that lights up a green LED on the other unit of the EVM, indicating that the machine is ready to vote. Displays a “Busy” light while a vote is being cast. A “Close” button does not allow any more votes to be cast and a “Delete” button deletes all data. One section shows the total number of votes cast.
- Voting unit: It is kept in the voting compartment of the polling station. The names and symbols of the candidates are entered in this unit, with a blue button next to each name. The unit also facilitates Braille writing to allow visually impaired voters to cast their vote without outside assistance. Voters register their votes by pressing the blue button next to the candidate of their choice. Once the vote has been cast, a beep sounds on the control unit.
Who oversees the vote counting?
The ICE appoints a returning officer (RO) for each parliamentary constituency, making them responsible for counting votes.
An RO is supported by assistant returning officers (AROs), who are responsible for counting in the assembly segments that fall under the respective parliamentary constituency. Each parliamentary constituency is divided into assembly segments corresponding to the constituencies of the respective state assembly. Most parliamentary constituencies are usually made up of six or seven assembly constituencies.
How are the votes counted?
- When voting is over, the EVMs are sealed and stored in a strong room in the parliamentary constituency. On the day of counting, the EVMs are taken out and opened in the presence of representatives of all participating political parties.
- The vote count begins when the RO counts the votes using postal ballots. The EVM vote counting begins 30 minutes after the postal vote counting. Only the EVM control units are needed during counting.
- Since there are several constituencies within a parliamentary constituency, the counting of votes for each segment of the assembly is carried out in a single room where 14 tables are set up and the EVM control units are distributed among the tables.
- The number of rooms or tables may be increased if there are a large number of candidates. But it requires prior permission from the electoral body. Counting may also be carried out at more than one place within the assembly constituency under the supervision of an ARO.
- Before counting, several checks are carried out to ensure that the control units are sealed, correctly assigned and functioning correctly.
- In each round the votes recorded in 14 EVMs are counted and the results are announced and written on a board attached to each table before the next round of counting.
- The votes are counted by the supervisors and counting assistants at each table, who are designated by the RO through a randomization process.
- The EVM control unit contains a “Results” button to display the number of votes each candidate received. It also shows the total number of candidates per constituency.
- When the Results button is pressed, the EVM displays the votes obtained by the candidates one by one, indicated by beeps. The control unit displays “End” after the candidates' vote numbers are displayed.
What is VVPAT system?
This ICE introduced Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) system in 2013 to build trust in EVMs.
A VVPAT is connected to the control unit and voting unit of an EVM through cables. After a voter casts his or her vote, the VVPAT generates a corresponding paper receipt, which is visible to the voter for about seven seconds to confirm that the vote was cast correctly. These receipts then drop into a mailbox.
The Congress and some other opposition parties have been demanding that VVPAT ballot papers be counted for counting votes at all polling stations across the country as a measure against vote rigging. ICE has rejected the lawsuit. However, the Supreme Court of India has directed the electoral body to compare the VVPAT tickets of five randomly selected assembly segments with the results of the respective EVMs.
When will the election results be announced?
Initial trends and subsequent results begin to appear shortly after counting begins. The final results of India's general elections will likely be announced on the night of June 4 or the morning of June 5.
Where to check the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in India?
The ICE will publish the results on its website. Al Jazeera will also bring you live results, updated with the latest from the ECI, on June 4.
