Thiruvananthapuram: All arrangements are in place for the counting of votes for the 20 parliamentary constituencies in the state on Thursday.
The counting will begin at 29 locations comprising 140 counting centres across the state at 8 am.
There will be 14 rounds along with the counting of postal ballots and VVPAT slips.
Each hall will have 14 counting tables. The postal ballots will be counted first in the hall where the returning officer is present, followed by counting of EVMs at 8.30 am.
If there are no postal votes, the counting of votes cast on the EVM will begin at 8 am.
While the counting of EVMs will be over by noon, the official declaration of final results would be made only after 6 pm given the additional time required for counting of VVPAT slips.
Five EVMs will be chosen randomly in each Assembly segment through a draw of lots for the VVPAT counting.
A total of 35 VVPATs would be counted in each Lok Sabha constituency. On average, five to six hours will be required to count these slips, which will be about 60,000 to 70,000 per constituency. Hence official declaration will take place after nine to 10 hours.
The EVMs, control units and VVPAT units will be shifted from the strongrooms to the designated counting centres in each Assembly segment on Thursday morning.
The EVMs would be brought out of strongrooms in the presence of election observers, assistant returning officers and political party representatives.
A specific number of tables have been arranged in each counting centre. Each table will have a micro observer, counting supervisor and counting assistant. The initial trends will be available by 8.30- 9 am on voter helpline app or at https://results.eci.gov.in.
In the event of a difference in vote tally between the control unit and VVPAT slip count, the VVPAT figure will be taken as final. However, before deciding, the slips will be counted two or three times.
If the victory margin is less than the total postal ballots received, then these would be recounted, and the entire process will be video graphed. The first round will be completed only after counting of EVMS, declaration of results at the end of the round, feeding the data in Suvidha portal, signed by the observer and sent to the Election Commission of India. The second round will begin only after completing the process.
