Hyderabad: Following the conclusion of polling at 1,677 locations across the Hyderabad district, the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) utilized in the electoral process have been securely placed in the custody of 14 Distribution and Reception Centres (DRCs).
In a meticulous review of the preparations, District Election Officer (DEO) and GHMC Commissioner Ronald Rose conducted visits to these centers on Thursday night. As the eagerly anticipated counting day approaches on December 3, the dedicated staff involved in the process are slated to undergo their second round of training this Saturday.
Similar to the careful handling of EVMs, officers will be assigned to their respective counting centers after a randomization process, ensuring a transparent and unbiased approach. Each counting center will permit no more than 16 counting agents inside. The counting process will commence with the scrutiny of votes from postal ballots, followed by the counting of votes exclusively from the control units of the EVMs, meticulously recorded in Form 17-C.
Once this initial phase concludes, the tabulated votes will undergo a meticulous cross-verification with the Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips, overseen closely by Returning Officers (ROs) and Observers. GHMC Commissioner Ronald Rose, in a press statement, requested officers to furnish a comprehensive report on the number of tables set up at each counting center, specifying that one table would be designated for every 500 votes.
Each table will be manned by a supervisor, a counting assistant, and a micro-observer. Votes flagged as potentially invalid by the counting officers will undergo a reevaluation by the Returning Officers, with micro-observers randomly inspecting control units from five polling stations after the completion of the counting process.