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The last phase of polling for Lok Sabha election 2019 is underway and with that, the entire nation waits for the new government in India with bated breath.
The Lok Sabha polls 2019 saw seven phases from April 11 till May 19 -- interspersed with sporadic incidents of violence, long-drawn road shows and emotion-driven rallies.
As the Lok Sabha election 2019 draws to a close, India TV brings to you all you need to, and must, know about the counting of votes and the result.
When will the counting be held?
The counting for the Lok Sabha election 2019 will be held on May 23 -- Thursday -- for 542 constituencies. The counting begins at 8 am. This time, however, results might be delayed by around four hours, according to the Election Commission of India. This is due to an increase in the number of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) verification to five random EVMs.
What is the process of counting?
Nearly 4,000 counting centres have been set up across the country for the counting day. The postal ballots will be counted first and then the votes cast on the electronic voting machines.
A batch of 14 machines is 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.
Where is counting of votes done?
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the preferred location where counting is conducted in the constituency's district headquarters. Counting cannot be held inside a temporary structure without prior permission from the ECI. The officials who are assigned duties for counting day and the agents are provided passes for entry into the place where votes are counted.
Who can count the votes?
The counting of the votes in a polling station is done under the supervision of the Returning Officer (RO) who fixes the time and place for counting to commence prior to the poll dates.
Counting of polls in an EVM is done within 3-5 hours in the presence of the RO along with counting staff, election agents, candidates, counting agents, public servants who are on-duty and authorised Election Commission (ECI) personnel.
How does an EVM work?
Electronic Voting Machine (also known as EVM) is voting using electronic means to either aid or take care of the chores of casting and counting votes.
An EVM is designed with two units: the control unit and the balloting unit. These units are joined together by a cable. The control unit of the EVM is kept with the presiding officer or the polling officer. The balloting unit is kept within the voting compartment for electors to cast their votes. This is done to ensure that the polling officer verifies your identity. With the EVM, instead of issuing a ballot paper, the polling officer will press the Ballot Button which enables the voter to cast their vote. A list of candidates names and/or symbols will be available on the machine with a blue button next to it. The voter can press the button next to the candidate’s name they wish to vote for.
