By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 3 Jun: Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dr Vijay Jogdande today held a press briefing at the Media Centre at the Secretariat regarding counting of votes in the state for the General Elections 2024. Jogdande said that all preparations for counting of votes in all five Lok Sabha seats of the state have been completed. The counting process will start on all Lok Sabha seats from 8 a.m. tomorrow. In this regard, meetings have been held with all political parties at the district level. All candidates, their agents and party officials have been requested to be present at the opening the strong room.
The Additional Chief Electoral Officer shared that, in all, 27 observers have been deployed in the state by the Election Commission to monitor the preparations for counting and the counting processes. All observers have reached their respective districts. He said that the processes in relation to the counting of the votes will be videographed from the time of opening the strong rooms tomorrow morning. Counting of postal ballots will start first at 8 a.m. at the RO Headquarters, EVM counting will start at 8:30 a.m. This arrangement will be ensured only in the RO headquarters, where the postal ballots are. EVM counting will start at 8 a.m. in other districts.
Jogdande shared that 884 tables have been set up for EVM counting in the entire state. A maximum of 14 tables have been kept for counting per assembly segment. There can be different numbers of tables in all districts. Three personnel will be deployed at each table, including a counting supervisor, counting assistant and micro- observer. Apart from this, 120 personnel will also be deployed in reserve.
Special officers will be deployed for electricity, drinking water, food and law and order arrangement sat the counting site. Special magistrates have also been deployed for the counting centres.
The Additional Chief Electoral Officer said that security arrangements have been made in three circles in view of security at the counting centre. As per the plan, CRPF is on duty in the innermost circle. The State Armed Police Force will be deployed in the second circle and State Police in the third circle. No person will be allowed to take a vehicle beyond the third circle. All the visiting persons/officials/personnel will be given entry only on the basis of identity cards issued by the DO or RO. Counting agents appointed by candidates and political parties can enter with appointment letter and identity card given in Form 18. No person will be allowed to carry a mobile phone at the counting centres for which separate mobile deposit centres have been set up. Apart from this, there is a strict ban on carrying any electronic device.
The Additional Chief Electoral Officer said that to ensure transparency in counting, all the processes will be videographed. A media control room has been arranged for the media. If the candidate wants, he can nominate his counting agent at the ARO table of a remote district. He said that the slips will be counted from five randomly selected VVPAT machines in each assembly. After which it will be tallied with the votes received in the EVM.
The Additional Chief Electoral Officer added that a total of 27,156 postal ballots were used by the polling personnel during the polling. Apart from this, 12,670 handicapped and elderly voters cast their votes. Also, so far, 52,053 postal ballots have been received through Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS). He reminded that over 57 percent polling had been recorded in the state of Uttarakhand. In which a total of 47,72,000 votes were cast. In which 23,55,000 women, 2416000 men and 87 transgenders cast their votes.
