India is currently witnessing the biggest democratic exercise in the world to vote for the 17th Lok Sabha.
As the election draws to a close with the last phase slated for May 19, here are some of the FAQs about the all-important counting day:
The counting for the Lok Sabha election 2019 will be held on May 23, Thursday.
How many seats will be counted?
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The Lower House of Parliament, for which the elections are being held, has 543 elected members. The counting for all 543 seats will be held on May 23. Additionally, counting for state assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will also be held.
What time does counting begin?
The counting usually begins at 8 am.
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When does it end?
It depends. For some assembly elections, the counting has gone on till late in the night; but it typically ends by evening, while the provisional results are, by and large, known by the afternoon.
This time, however, results might be delayed by around four hours, according to the Election Commission. This is due to an increase in the number of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) verification to five random EVMs.
In April, the Supreme Court had ordered the EC to increase the VVPAT slips from one EVM per assembly constituency to five.
What is the process of counting?
There will be
nearly 4,000 counting centres set up across the country on the counting day. The postal ballots are counted first, then the votes cast on the electronic voting machines.
A batch of 14 machines are counted in each round. The result of that round is announced immediately after the counting for that round is concluded. This is done in order to prevent any future manipulation.
How do they count the postal ballots?
The postal ballot (PB) process is reserved for service officers, their spouses, those on polling duty, electors subject to preventive detention etc.
The postal ballots are counted only at the Returning Officer's table. The voters are provided with Cover A, which contains the ballot paper. The voters are also provided with Cover B, containing Form 13A.
On the counting day, Cover B is opened and attestation in Form 13 A is checked. If it has been properly attested and the number of PB written in 13 A, matches with the number written on Cover A, only then is Cover A opened and ballots counted.
It normally takes about half an hour for the PBs to be counted, after which counting for the EVMs can be started.
How is counting done when Lok Sabha and assembly elections are held simultaneously?
Counting for both is done in the same counting hall. One side of the hall is reserved for counting of Lok Sabha votes while the other is reserved for the state assemblies.
Where is counting of votes done?
According to the Election Commission, the preferred location where counting is conducted is the constituency's district headquarters. Counting cannot be held inside a temporary structure without prior permission from the ECI.
Image: Election Commission of India.
Who is allowed inside a counting station?
The officials who are assigned duties for counting day, as also the counting agents appointed by political parties. These agents are provided passes for entry into the stations.
Representatives from political parties are also shown the strong room, where EVMs are stored, before the counting.
Who is responsible for counting of votes and declaration of results?
The Returning Officer (RO) is responsible for declaration of result within his/her constituency. The Election Commission declares the results of all constituencies.
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