Gwalior, 21 May (HS). The officers and employees deployed for counting of votes in all the six assembly constituencies of Gwalior district included in the Gwalior parliamentary constituency were given the first phase of training on Tuesday at the Atal Auditorium of Jiwaji Vishwavidyalaya. The staff deployed for counting of votes learned the intricacies of counting votes recorded in EVMs and postal ballot papers. Along with the counting staff, micro observers were also trained. During the training, counting of VVPAT slips and their importance was also explained to the counting staff. Additional Collector Anju Arun Kumar and Deputy District Election Officer Sanjeev Kumar Jain were also present during the training.
In the first phase of training of the counting staff, counting supervisors and counting assistants were taught the nuances of counting votes with electronic voting machines. About 670 officers and employees were trained in the first phase of training. Master trainers are also included among those receiving training.
It was told in the training that one counting supervisor, counting assistant and micro observer will be deployed at each counting table of EVM. In this way, three officers will be deployed at one table. Micro observers will give their reports directly to the election observers. Two counting assistants, one counting observer, one ARO and one micro observer will be stationed at the postal ballot table.
It may be noted that under the Lok Sabha election schedule set by the Election Commission of India, the counting of votes cast on May 7 in all the assembly constituencies of Gwalior district will be done on June 4. The counting of votes will start from 8 am on this day in A Block of MLB College. Counting of votes of Karaira (SC) and Pohri assembly constituencies of Shivpuri district included in Gwalior parliamentary constituency will be done at Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Post Graduate College, Shivpuri.
Counting of postal ballots will begin first.
State level master trainer SB Ojha said that as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India, counting of postal ballots will start at 8 am on June 4. After half an hour the counting of EVM votes will start. Counting of both types of votes can continue in parallel. Only those postal ballot papers will be counted which are received before the start of counting i.e. by 7:59 am on June 4.
The process of counting VVPAT slips was also explained.
Master Trainer Ojha told the counting staff that VVPAT slips of five polling stations in every assembly constituency will be counted compulsorily. If the display is not visible on the EVM (Control Unit) then the VVPAT slips of that EVM will be counted. If at any polling station, after the mock poll, actual voting has started without clearing the votes recorded in the EVMs, then the VVPAT slips of such EVMs will be counted. But VVPAT slips of such polling station will be counted only when the difference of victory and defeat is less than the votes cast in the polling station. Apart from this, if a candidate demands counting of VVPAT slips of any polling station, then if the demand is justified, the decision will be taken by the Returning Officer under the guidelines of the Election Commission of India.
Counting agents will also sign the certification.
During the training it was told that the counting of the candidates will be done with complete satisfaction of the counting agent. This time the counting agent will also sign a certification to the effect that the same EVM which was used in the polling station on the polling day is being counted.
Counting of votes will be completed in 13 cycles each in the assembly constituencies of Gwalior district, Gwalior Rural, Gwalior South and Dabra. Counting will be completed in 15 cycles in Gwalior assembly constituency, 16 cycles in Gwalior East and 17 cycles in Bhitarwar. There will be 20 counting cycles in Karaira assembly constituency of Shivpuri district included in Gwalior parliamentary constituency and 19 counting cycles in Pohri.