Chennai, May 3: The counting for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will take place on May 4 across the state. Votes from all 75,064 polling stations and postal ballots will be counted at 62 designated counting centers. A total of 234 counting halls have been arranged for counting the votes recorded in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Additionally, 240 extra halls will be set up for counting postal ballots and electronically transmitted postal ballots (ETPB). In total, 3,324 counting tables will be utilized for the process.
The counting will be conducted by the Returning Officer (RO) with assistance from the Assistant Returning Officers (AROs). A total of 10,545 counting personnel will be deployed, supported by 4,624 micro observers to ensure transparency and fairness in the counting process.
The Election Commission of India has appointed a total of 234 counting supervisors, one for each assembly constituency, to monitor the counting process and ensure strict adherence to the commission’s existing guidelines.
For counting postal ballots, one counting table will be provided for every 500 ballots. In this regard, 1,135 additional Assistant Returning Officers have been deployed. A comprehensive three-tier security arrangement has been established at all counting centers to ensure the fairness and smooth operation of the counting process.
A security perimeter starting 100 meters around each counting center has been created. Access to this area will be restricted to authorized personnel only. Sufficient police personnel will be stationed at the entrances to verify identification and conduct proper searches.
The security at the entrances of the counting premises will be managed by the State Armed Police. They will control access and prevent unauthorized movement or loitering within the premises. The use of mobile phones and other communication devices will only be permitted in designated areas.
The innermost level of security at the entrances of counting halls and EVM strong rooms will be managed by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Strict search protocols will be implemented to prevent the entry of mobile phones and other prohibited items into the counting halls.
In addition to local police and state armed forces, 65 companies of the CAPF have been deployed at the counting centers to further strengthen security arrangements.
For the first time, the Election Commission of India has introduced a QR code-based photo identification system through ECI-NET to prevent unauthorized access to counting centers. Entry will only be permitted after successful verification through QR code scanning at the third and innermost security checkpoint.
All authorized personnel, including Returning Officers, Assistant Returning Officers, counting staff, technical personnel, candidates, election agents, and counting agents, will be required to possess QR code-based photo identification to gain access to the counting centers and halls. The counting will commence at 8:00 AM with postal ballots, followed by EVM counting at 8:30 AM.
Results for all assembly constituencies will be announced by the respective Returning Officers using the public address system at the centers and will also be displayed on the ECI-NET app.
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