All arrangements have been completed for counting votes polled in the April 9 Kerala Assembly elections, the Election Commission said on Friday, with counting scheduled to begin at 8 am on May 4 across 140 centres.
Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar said in a statement that the counting will take place at 140 centres located in 43 places, with 15,465 personnel deployed for the exercise.
The personnel include 140 Returning Officers, 1,340 Assistant Returning Officers, 4,208 micro observers, 4,208 counting supervisors and 5,563 counting assistants.
The counting process will commence with postal ballots, followed by Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), with votes from a maximum of 14 polling stations to be counted in each round.
Kelkar said that strong rooms storing polling materials will be opened in the presence of candidates or their authorised representatives, Election Commission observers and designated officials, with the entire process to be video recorded.
He added that in case of any discrepancy between votes recorded in EVMs and those polled at booths, Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips will be counted.
The VVPAT slips will contain the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate, and will be used to verify vote counts.
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After verification, the EVM vote count will be reconciled with Form 17C (Part One), which records votes polled at each station.
To ensure accuracy, two EVM observers will conduct random checks in each round, while VVPAT slips from five booths in every constituency will be mandatorily counted.
The Chief Electoral Officer also issued detailed instructions for political party representatives, including the requirement to carry official identity cards, adhere to designated seating arrangements and maintain confidentiality during the counting process.
They have been directed not to touch or tamper with EVMs and to cooperate fully with election officials.
Political parties have also been asked not to appoint Union or state ministers as counting agents for security reasons.
The Commission warned that any breach of discipline could lead to removal from the counting centre.
Entry to counting halls will be restricted to valid pass holders, including election officials, candidates, authorised agents and public servants.
Guidelines for the media include remaining within demarcated areas, using only handheld cameras and refraining from recording actual vote counts.
Media personnel have also been instructed not to obstruct counting operations and to leave mobile phones outside the counting hall.
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