The highly anticipated counting of votes for the 543 constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections commenced on June 4, starting with the tallying of postal ballots. Postal ballots, also known as mail-in ballots, allow registered voters to cast their votes via mail, providing a vital alternative for those unable to vote in person due to reasons such as old age, disability, being away from their home district, or fulfilling essential duties on election day. This year, media personnel covering the elections were also permitted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to vote through postal ballots.
Opposition’s Call for Priority Counting of Postal Ballots
In the lead-up to the counting day, the Opposition-led INDIA bloc urged the Election Commission to ensure that postal ballots are counted and their results declared before the electronic voting machines (EVM) outcomes are announced. This request was formalized in a letter sent to the ECI, in which Opposition leaders emphasized that the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 mandate that the counting of postal ballots should be prioritized. They argued that this statutory practice has been overlooked despite guidelines issued by the ECI in 2019.
During a media briefing, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi highlighted the issue, stating, “This is the third multi-party delegation visiting the EC during this process…. We spent time with the EC on two to three major issues. Most important was counting the postal ballots and declaring the results first. This is a very clearly stated statutory rule, which specifically says that you should take up the postal ballots first.”
Changes in Counting Guidelines Since 2019
The concerns raised by the Opposition are rooted in changes made to the ECI’s guidelines in 2019. Until then, EVM counting would begin 30 minutes after the postal ballots had been fully counted. The ECI’s Handbook for Counting Agents in February 2019 stated that “under no circumstances should the results of all the rounds of the EVM counting be announced before finalizing the postal ballot counting.”
However, due to a significant increase in postal ballots following the introduction of the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) and the mandatory counting of VVPAT slips from five randomly selected polling stations, the guidelines were revised. On May 18, 2019, the ECI directed that EVM counting could proceed regardless of the postal ballot counting stage. Additionally, the rule for recounting postal ballots was modified: previously, all postal ballots had to be recounted if the victory margin was less than the total number of postal ballots. The revised rule stipulates that only rejected postal ballots must be re-verified if their number exceeds the victory margin.
Current Guidelines and Opposition’s Reaction
According to the 2023 Handbook for Counting Agents, “After 30 minutes of commencement of postal ballot counting, the EVM counting can start and continue irrespective of the stage of postal ballot counting. Once the EVM counting is completed, the VVPAT slip counting can also start.”
The Opposition, however, remains concerned about the potential impact of this procedure. They pointed out the significant rise in postal ballots in this election and cited the 2020 Bihar elections, where the number of postal ballots was notably higher than the winning margin. They stressed the importance of counting postal ballots first to ensure transparency and accuracy.
In response to these concerns, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar assured on Monday that the counting of postal ballots would indeed start first at all counting centers, reaffirming, “there is no doubt about it.”
Click here For live updates on Lok Sabha Election 2024 Results
