All set for vote count today

Hyderabad: The State Election Commission (SEC) has made all arrangements for the counting of votes in the 123 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), including 116 Municipalities and seven corporations, on Friday.

According to the SEC, the counting will start at 8 am. Postal ballots will be counted first and then the regular ballots will be taken up. The Commission has appointed required counting supervisors and assistants.

Section 163 of BNSS will be in force in and around counting centers. The officials said that all ballot boxes of a ward would be brought one by one to the counting table. The ballot papers of polling stations are bundled in sets of 25 and if leftover ballots are fewer than 25, they are made into a separate bundle and labelled with the count. Details will be recorded and the bundles of all polling stations of the ward will be placed in a drum and they are thoroughly mixed.

Incomplete bundles (less than 25) are combined to form full bundles as far as possible and placed into the drum. Any remaining ballots (less than 25) are kept separately with a slip indicating their number. The same process is repeated ward by ward.

The official said that after mixing, detailed scrutiny begins. In each round, 1,000 ballots (40 bundles × 25 ballots) are randomly taken from the drum and sent to each counting table. Wooden trays with compartments are used for each contesting candidate, NOTA and doubtful votes. Ballots are examined one by one for validity, and each ballot is shown to counting agents and valid votes are placed candidate-wise.

Valid votes for each candidate are bundled in 100s. Likewise, doubtful votes and NOTA votes are also bundled in 100s. Remaining votes (less than 100) are bundled separately with a slip noting the count. Candidate-wise totals and doubtful votes are recorded in the counting sheet and signed by the Counting Supervisor; and the same process continues until all ballots of the ward are counted and all doubtful votes (round-wise, table-wise) are decided by the returning officer. The round-wise candidate votes and rejected votes are entered in the final result sheet and obtain agents’ signatures after each round and the results will be declared. Results will be declared and certificates will be issued after completion of counting and due verification.

The officials said that all adequate security arrangements were made to maintain peace and order. Only the counting supervisors, counting assistants, candidates and their election agents and counting agents will be allowed inside the counting hall. Entry will be strictly regulated with valid passes only. Mobile phones and electronic gadgets are prohibited inside counting halls. Webcasting arrangements were made in all the counting centers and outside strong rooms.