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Secure Voting: The Counting Process Guide

Learn the step-by-step process of counting votes, including procedures for postal ballots and ETPBs. Understand the importance of maintaining confidentiality and utilizing QR code scanners for efficient counting. Stay informed about the pre-counting process for optimal election management.

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Secure Voting: The Counting Process Guide

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  1. Counting of Votes Counting Process

  2. Contents of the Presentation

  3. Opening of Strong Room • The RO should commence the counting at the hour fixed for the purpose ( i.e. at 8 a.m.) • The strong room should be opened, in the presence of RO/ARO(s), candidates/ election agents and ECI observers. (i.e. 6 a.m.) • After making necessary entries in the log book maintained for the purpose, the seal of the lock should be checked and then broken. • Videography.

  4. Counting of votes in Counting Hall • Section 128 of the RP Act, 1951- For maintaining secrecy of vote in the counting hall, RO should read out aloud the provisions of Counting of Postal Ballot to be taken up first. • Counting of postal ballot papers shall be done at RO’s Table. • If there is shortage of space for keeping more than 3 or 4 tables in the hall and the number of Postal Ballot Papers received is very high, the RO can make arrangement of a separate hall adjacent to counting hall for counting of postal ballot papers.

  5. Counting of votes in Counting Hall • Only such postal ballot papers as are received before the hour fixed for commencement of counting shall be counted. • The penultimate (one before the last) round of counting of votes recorded in EVMs shall not commence till the counting of postal ballot is completed in all respects.

  6. Counting of votes received through Postal ballots / ETPBS

  7. QR Code Scanner that can be used for ETPBS Pre-Counting1.  DATALOGIC QuickScan QD2430 2. Honeywell Xenon 1900 3. iBall 2D-S209 4. MINDEO MD 6100AT 5. Unitech MS846 6. Honeywell HH400 7. ESYPOS EBS 3312 8. NPoS N-620/N-629

  8. Counting of Votes on ETPBs (FOR SERVICE ELECTORS) • Counting of ETPBs shall be done at ROs Table as in the case of the other postal ballots. Only such Postal Ballots as are received before the hour fixed for commencement of counting shall be counted. • Opening of the Envelopes- • First Phase: Opening of Form 13-C (Outer Envelope) • The covers in Form 13-C received in time should be verified and opened one after another. QR code on the Outer Envelope will be scanned using a computer software and QR code reader and necessary validity checks will be performed. • After verification of the outer envelope, a unique serial number will be provided by the computer. This serial number will also be manually marked by RO on the envelope being verified. The computer software will check the entry in the QR code for any possible duplicates and will provide the list of serial numbers which are all duplicate to the Postal Ballot

  9. (b) On opening the cover "B" (Form 13C), two documents are required to be found inside. The first is the declaration by the voter in Form 13-A and the second the inner cover i.e. Form 13-B containing the Postal Ballot Paper. (c) As each cover is opened, RO should take out the declaration in Form 13-A and the cover in Form I3-B, scan, verify and then scrutinize the declaration. (d) Before opening the cover in Form 13-B containing the Postal Ballot Paper, the Returning Officer must check the declaration in Form 13-A and all such forms 13A must be kept separately and sealed, before taking up Form 13B for opening and counting.

  10. (e) Returning Officer will reject a Postal Ballot without opening its inner cover in Form 13-B if: (i) the declaration in Form 13-A is not found in the cover, or (ii) the Electronic Postal Ballot Identification Number (e-PBID) in the declaration in Form 13-A does not match with the issued e-PBID, or (iii) the declaration has not been duly signed and, or not attested by an officer competent to do so, or the e-PBID of Postal Ballot appearing in the declaration is different from the e-PBID on the cover in Form 13-B

  11. (iv) All the declarations in Form 13-A, which have been found to be in order, should then be kept separately for counting. (v) For further counting, all instructions for counting of postal ballot paper shall apply. (vi) Scanning of QR Codes SHOULD be done in the sequence without fail. Form 13C should be scanned first, followed by both the QR Code on Form 13A and then Form 13B. SEQUENCE OF QR CODE SCANNING SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

  12. Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System – Pre Counting • The pre counting process involves the verification of the following: • Form 13-C - Cover B (Outer Envelope) • Form 13-A - Declaration by Elector • Form 13-B - Cover A (Inner Envelope) • Postal Ballot Paper • Optically machine readable code will be scanned on the Outer Envelope and necessary validity checks will be performed. • After verification of the outer envelope, a unique serial number will be recorded in the database against the code on outer envelope (Cover B) and the same will be written on the Cover B. • If another envelope with the same credentials/serial number is found, then the serial number of the older envelope will be displayed to the RO for duplicate envelopes. • This will help in locating the duplicate envelopes physically.

  13. Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System – Pre Counting

  14. Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System – Pre Counting • On opening the outer envelope, two documents are required to be found inside. • The declaration by the voter and • Inner envelope containing the Postal Ballot Paper. • As each cover is opened, RO will take out the declaration and the inner envelope, scan, verify and then scrutinize the declaration. • Before opening the inner envelope containing the marked postal ballot paper, the Returning Officer will check the declaration. • Thereafter the inner envelope will be verified and opened one after another. Then the marked Postal Paper will be taken out, verified and validity of the Postal Ballot Papers scrutinized and decisions arrived at. • The valid Postal Ballot Paper will then be forwarded for COUNTING.

  15. Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System – Pre Counting

  16. INSTALL QR CODE SCANNER e-Postal Ballot

  17. 1. Select ECI Official RO Login to ETPBS portal 2. Enter RO Login ID 3. Click SUBMIT RO receives the OTP 4. Enter OTP 5. Click VALIDATE OTP e-Postal Ballot

  18. SCANNING EACH BALLOT’s FORM C-A-B e-Postal Ballot

  19. TAKE Form 13-C e-Postal Ballot

  20. Tab : 4 Scan Form 13-C 1. Click e-Postal Ballot

  21. Scanning QR code on Form 13-C SCAN the QR code & Note down the Sr. No on back side of 13-C Serial Number appears here e-Postal Ballot

  22. NOTE THE FOLLOWING WHILE SCANNING After scanning QR code a beep sound will be heard and a serial number will be displayed on monitor. If its not displayed, refresh the page before scanning again. e-Postal Ballot

  23. Click on the “Scan Form 13-C” button and Scan the QR Code on the outer envelope. (Ensure to mark the serial no. as shown in ETPBS – on the Form 13-C being scanned with a pencil) Immediately OPEN the Outer Envelope and take out Form 13-A and Form 13-B. Then click on the “Scan Form 13-A” button and ScanbothQR Codes of Form 13-A. (Mark the serial number on the Form 13-A being verified by a pencil) Then, click on the “Scan Form 13-B” button and Scan the QR Code on the inner envelope. (Mark the serial number on the Form 13-B being verified by a pencil)Now, take the next outer envelope (Form 13-C) of a voter and repeat the above-mentioned entire process, i.e. complete the scanning of the Form 13-C, Form 13-A and Form 13-B, in sequence. PROCEDURE TO BE FOLLOWED WHILE SCANNING e-Postal Ballot

  24. Clarification - 1 : How Duplicity is checked ? After scanning a QR code the computer software will check the entry in the database for any possible duplicates in the list of Postal Ballots received and flag a warning for such case. The computer software will also provide the list of serial numbers which are all duplicate to the PB being handled. The RO will locate all such duplicate envelopes as indicated by the computer software and keep them together physically and INVALIDATE all such duplicate votes.All such envelopes declared INVALID shall not be opened for further processing & will be kept aside and preserved for future reference. Number of such duplicate postal ballots shall be marked in the register. INSTRUCTIONS TO RO e-Postal Ballot

  25. Scan Form 13-A Click e-Postal Ballot

  26. TAKE 13-A Check whether Elector has Signed Attesting Officer Signature e-Postal Ballot

  27. Scanning 13-A SCAN both the QR code & Note down the Sr. No on back side 13-A e-Postal Ballot

  28. Scan BOTH THE QR code on Form 13-A There are 2 TWO QR codes on Form 13-A. Both the QR code have to be scanned staying on this page Serial Number appears here e-Postal Ballot

  29. Form 13-B Click e-Postal Ballot

  30. TAKE FORM 13-B & SCAN FORM 13B SCAN the QR code & Note down the Sr. No on back side of 13-B e-Postal Ballot

  31. SCANNED SERIAL NUMBER 13-B Serial Number appears here e-Postal Ballot

  32. TAKE NEXT OUTER COVER FORM 13-C & REPEAT THE ABOVE 3 STEPS TILL ALL ARE SCANNED e-Postal Ballot

  33. WHEN C-A-B SCANNING IS COMPLETE AND DECLARATION IN Form13-A HAS BEEN CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE IN ORDER….. e-Postal Ballot

  34. OPEN ALL FORM 13-B ENVELOPE & TAKE OUT THE PB e-Postal Ballot

  35. VOTES MARKED ON PB IS CHECKED&ONLY VALID VOTES ARE SCANNED e-Postal Ballot

  36. WHEN ALL PB C-A-B scanning is Complete Click on this button to Start Scanning of VALID e-PB (VOTE). e-Postal Ballot

  37. AFTER SCANNING IS OVER ALL THE VALID PB ARE COUNTED e-Postal Ballot

  38. Postal Ballot For Other Categories (other the ETPBS) e-Postal Ballot

  39. Counting of votes received through Postal ballots

  40. Counting of votes received through Postal ballots

  41. Counting of votes received through Postal ballots

  42. Counting of votes received through Postal Ballots

  43. Counting of votes received through Postal ballots • There is no particular mark as per law to be made by voter to record vote on PB • Any mark is valid if it is clear beyond reasonable doubt in favor of which candidate vote has been given • It should not be rejected if mark has been made more than once to clarify choice • PB will not be rejected merely on the ground that the attesting officer has not put his seal on the declaration , if all relevant details of attesting officer have been mentioned • The PB will also not be rejected on the ground that the sender has not put his signature on the outer cover ‘B’ (Form- 13-C) if the identity of the sender is verifiable on the basis of his declaration in Form -13-A • Sealing of packets should be done using RO as well as Commission’s secret seal. Candidates also allowed to use their seals.

  44. Defective Declaration in 13 A • If the declaration (Form 13-A) is not found inside the cover “B” in Form 13-C; • If the declaration has not been duly signed by the elector or has not been duly attested by an officer competent to do so or is otherwise substantially defective; • If the serial number of the ballot paper appearing on the declaration in Form 13A is different from the serial number as endorsed on the inner cover “A” in Form 13-B.

  45. Some Important points • The Commission has decided that where the result of an election is going to be decided by difference of postal ballot received by the first two candidates, then there shall be mandatory and comprehensive recount of postal ballot papers, even though no candidate asks for it. • After commencement of postal ballot counting, the EVM counting can start. The EVMs can be brought under escort (agents can accompany) from the strong room to the counting hall even if the postal ballot counting is still going on. However, the penultimate round of EVM counting shall not commence unless the postal ballot counting is over.

  46. Some Important points • The total number of postal votes received by each candidate should be calculated, entered in the Result Sheet in Form 20 in the appropriate place and announced by RO aloud for the information of the candidates. • No Returning Officer shall declare the result without receiving the authorization in the prescribed format from the Observer. It shall be the personal responsibility of the Observer and Returning Officer to ensure fairness of counting of votes and accurate compilation of result. • A CD containing the record of complete videography of counting process should be given by the Returning Officer to all candidates or their election agent free of cost after the counting process is over.

  47. Counting of Votes recorded in EVMs

  48. COUNTING PROCESS • EVM counting starts ,after commencement of postal ballot counting, • Only CUs and sealed envelopes containing Form 17 C shall be brought to the table as per EVM Movement Sheet, • One senior officer to monitor the movement of CUs from strong Room to Counting Hall, one round after another, • Then to sealing place, • Only after completion of one round in all respect, CUs of next round will be moved to counting hall. • An account on such distribution of CUs shall be kept and brought to the notice of RO time to time.

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