Chief Electoral Officer for Gujarat P Bharathi today explained the process of vote-counting, a day before the Lok Sabha Election 2024 results.

At a briefing, Bharathi said that vote counting for the Lok Sabha election and state assembly election for five seats will take place on June 4 at 8 am.

Vote-counting staff

Necessary arrangements for counting of votes have been made, with deployment of 56 counting observers, 30 election officials, and 175 assistant election officials.

Additionally, 615 assistant officials are assigned the duty of Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) and Postal Ballot.

The first and second randomisation of the vote-counting staff has already taken place, and the third randomisation will take place at 5 am on June 4 in the presence of Observers, who have all reached their assigned venues.

Randomisation refers to the deployment of the counting staff in such a way that no person is assigned duties in a constituency where they were posted or isa resident.

Only ECI-authorised officers, observers, on-duty staff officers, candidates, their election agents, and counting agents will be allowed to enter counting stations. Media personnel with written permission from the ECI will also be allowed.

Strong Room 

The Strong Room (room for counting votes) will be opened in the morning in the presence of Review Officers (RO), Assistant Review Officers (ARO), candidates, or their authorised representatives and Observers appointed by ECI. After that, the EVMs and postal ballots will be taken out and brought to the counting hall and the counting of votes will begin.

A three-tier security system has been set up at all the counting centres with local police, SRPF, and CAPF. 

Electronic devices such as mobile, tablets or laptops cannot be taken to the counting centre except for observers of the commission. ROs, AROs, or Counting Supervisors may carry mobiles to the counting centre with prior permission as required for the counting process.

Mobile phones cannot be used anywhere in the counting centre complex except in the media centre and public communication room set up in each counting centre.

A media centre has been set up in the committee room on the fourth floor of block no.1 of the new secretariat for media workers at the state level to get details of the results.

You can check election results live here on the day of counting or log on to ECI’s official website or application.