Karnataka Assembly Results: What is the procedure for counting votes?
With just one day left for the counting of votes in Karnataka, here is the complete breakdown of the process involved before the results are announced.
FollowWith just one day left for the counting of votes in Karnataka, here is the complete process involved.
At the counting place, only the controlling unit is required and not ballot unit. It is disconnected from the controlling unit to keep the data of voting safe.
Counting hall is specially allotted for this. There will be two seats for RO or ARO and one for candidate representatives, which are placed at a safe distance from the other seats kept for counting of votes. They can observe, but cannot interfere in the counting process.
For each table, there is one counting supervisor and one counting assistant.
As the first step, the case where controlling unit is sealed and kept is brought to the table. First, the seal is checked. Then the unit is removed from the case. Then the seals of the candidate set section and result section are inspected.
The seal of the result section is removed and its outer cover is opened. Then the green paper seal and the serial number inside the seal are inspected. If there is any tampering found in this stage, the unit is kept aside and votes are not counted from the unit.
If it is not tampered, then the rear compartment is opened and power is switched on and the green lamp will light up. Then the total button is pressed and checked if the battery is weak. if yes, then a new battery is placed, and the process continues.
The result button, when pressed, will show the total number of votes registered in the unit. It also shows the number of votes cast for each candidate in sequence.
A form is given to those officers counting the votes. As the unit shows the numbers, they are written in the form.
After the counting, the power button is switched off and the unit is kept back in the case.
The same procedure is followed in all the counting centres and the result is announced after putting together the number of votes a candidate has got in the respective assembly constituency.
Then after counting the number of winning candidates from each assembly constituency, the winning party is announced. If none of the parties get the simple majority, which is 113 in the case of Karnataka, then the assembly is declared hung.
