EC issues instructions to poll officials ahead of counting of votes on June 4

Ahead of the announcement of results for the India General Elections 2024 on June 4 the Election Commission of India has issued a set of instructions for all poll officials on the procedure to be followed for counting of votes from Electronic Voting Machines VVPATs and Postal Ballots for the India General Elections 2024 as well as byeelection to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies reported news agency ANIAccording to the general instructions issued by the poll body the District Election Officers Returning Officers RO and Observers shall ensure that the existing instructions related to counting arrangements in and around Counting Centers have been fully complied with before counting of votes at the hour fixed for the purpose reported ANIThe counting of votes of a constituency shall not commence if ECI orders on the adjourned poll at any polling stations are pending it saidThe counting of votes of a constituency may commence if a repoll at any polling stations is taking place on counting day In such case the penultimate round of counting shall start only after repolled EVMs amp VVPATs from such polling stations are received in the concerned Counting Hall under full security escort the poll body instructed reported ANIThe RO should read out aloud the provisions of Section 128 of the Representation of the People Act 1951 and Rule 54 of Conduct of Election Rules 1961 to maintain the secrecy of the vote Under Rule 60 of the Conduct of Elections Rules 1961 counting shall be continuous without any interval it saidNo unauthorized person should be present in the counting hall Under Rule 534 the RO has the authority to direct anybody to go out of the Counting Center if anyone fails to obey the lawful directions of the returning officer it added reported ANIAccording to the instructions for counting through postal ballot paper under Rule 54A of the Conduct of Elections Rules 1961 the counting of postal ballot papers shall be started first at the ROs table Only such Postal Ballot Papers shall be taken up for counting which are received by the RO before the hour fixed for commencement of counting reported ANIThe Returning Officer shall furnish the latest account of the total number of postal ballot papers received from the facilitation centers and through post to the Observer at the time of commencement of countingThe RO or one of the Assistant Returning Officers shall explain and demonstrate the requirements of a valid declaration to all the counting supervisors assistants and the microobservers before the envelopes of the postal ballot papers are distributed to each of the counting tables and actual scrutiny of the declaration by the counting supervisor the instructions readThe RO shall ensure that there is no inordinate delay in scrutiny of the declarations by the AROs and the counting supervisors All the cases of rejection of postal ballot on account of defects in Declaration in Form13A should be reverified by the Returning Officer before they are actually put in the rejected category it said reported ANIThe Observer shall very closely oversee the process of counting of votes by postal ballot especially the scrutiny of the declaration in Form 13A While submitting the report on counting after declaration of result the Observer shall include therein a detailed description of the procedure followed for the postal ballot counting This should specifically make a mention about the total number of postal ballot papers received for counting number of Postal Ballots rejected number of tables provided for postal ballot counting and the total time taken for the counting of Postal Ballots reported ANIThe poll body has also issued several other instructions for counting of votes through postal ballotsVoting for the 543member Lok Sabha was held simultaneously with the Assembly elections in Sikkim Arunachal Pradesh Odisha and Andhra Pradesh While the long drawn out voting process spread over seven phases of India General Elections 2024 concluded on Saturday the counting of votes is scheduled for June 4With inputs from ANI