The Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel on Friday has provided insights into the meticulous arrangements for the upcoming vote counting of the Lok Sabha Election 2024 in Assam.

Addressing the press at Janata Bhawan, Goel outlined key highlights of the preparations:

·         Counting Centres: A network of 52 counting centres will be established across 50 polling districts in Assam, facilitating the tallying of both Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and postal votes.

·         Collaborative Planning: On May 20, discussions were held with district commissioners and the chief election officer to strategize the procedures for the counting day.

·         Restricted Access: Entry to counting centres will be strictly limited to licensed personnel to ensure the integrity of the process.

·         Dry Run: Currently, a comprehensive dry run for vote counting is underway to iron out any potential issues beforehand.

·         Management Responsibility: The district administration and police have been entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing and managing the entire process.

·         Counting Infrastructure: A total of 152 counting rooms and 1941 counting tables will be deployed for processing postal and EVM votes.

·         Expected Rounds: Vote counting is anticipated to conclude within 10 to 28 rounds, with certain constituencies possibly requiring a maximum of 28 rounds.

·         Supervision: The process will be overseen by 5823 vote counting officers and 64 general observers.

·         Postal Ballots: A substantial number of 1,28,299 postal ballot votes have been received and will be included in the tally.

·         Strategic Centres: Guwahati will host one of the counting centres, strategically positioned for efficient management.

·         Allocation Protocol: Officer allocations for counting tables will be communicated at 5 am on June 4, streamlining the operational framework.

·         Infrastructure Support: APDCL and BSNL have been engaged to ensure seamless provision of internet and electricity services during the counting process.

·         Contingency Measures: In the event of missing results in EVM machines, VVPATs (Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails) will be counted to ensure accuracy.

·         Surveillance: 360° CCTV cameras have been installed to vigilantly monitor the counting centres, bolstering security measures.

·         Result Declaration: Final election results will be announced from designated locations including Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Guwahati, Udalguri, Nagaon, Diphu, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, and Karimganj.

These comprehensive preparations underscore a commitment to conducting a transparent and efficient vote counting process in Assam, with robust measures in place to address potential challenges and uphold electoral integrity.