New Delhi (Daily Kiran): Ahead of the Bihar Assembly Election 2025 results, the Election Commission has once again issued a reminder about the official counting schedule, urging people not to get anxious by watching early “trend numbers” shown on TV channels.
According to the Commission, counting begins at 8 am with postal ballots, while the EVM vote counting starts at 8:30 am. Despite this, many TV channels start flashing party-wise seat numbers by 8:10 am, often creating misleading impressions. These numbers sometimes cross 100 seats even before officials finish counting postal ballots or finalise early figures.
Former Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had clarified in 2024 that no genuine EVM result can come before 9 am, as the first round takes at least 20–25 minutes after counting starts at 8:30 am. He said the first official figures are usually declared around 9 am, and the Election Commission’s website updates the first round by 9:30 am. Any numbers shown before this, he said, are “baseless”.
Rajiv Kumar had also pointed out that some channels create early excitement to match exit poll predictions, which later confuses viewers when real results start showing different trends.
Postal Ballot Counting Starts at 8 AM
The Commission reiterated that the process begins with counting of postal ballots at 8 am. Postal ballots are used by personnel who cannot vote at polling booths due to election duty or service commitments. These ballots are counted by the Returning Officer (RO) or Assistant RO.
Importantly, EVM counting cannot begin its final round until postal ballots are fully counted. If postal counting is still underway, the final EVM round is paused until the process is complete.
How Counting Staff Are Deployed
Counting staff are assigned duties through a three-step randomisation process.
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A week before counting, officials are informed only about their role.
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Twenty-four hours before counting, they are told which constituency they will work in.
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On counting day at 5 am, they receive their table numbers.
How EVM Counting Works
EVM counting starts at 8:30 am. Each assembly constituency has 14 tables for EVM counting and one for the Assistant RO, making a total of 15 tables. Each table has a counting supervisor, a counting assistant and a micro-observer. Every candidate can appoint one counting agent for each table.
During each round, EVMs are brought to the tables in the presence of the candidates’ agents. Agents verify that the seals are intact and that the machine numbers match the details recorded in Form 17C, which contains booth-wise data. If the votes in the EVM differ from the Form 17C entries, VVPAT slips of that booth must be counted.
Random VVPAT Verification
Once all EVMs of a constituency are counted, five random booths are selected to match EVM results with VVPAT slips. Candidates or their agents can remain present throughout the process. Round-wise updates are then uploaded to the Election Commission website.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
