Erode: Erode East constituency by-election counting will be held tomorrow. In this regard, 5 layers of police security has been provided to the counting center. Erode East Constituency by-election polling was held the day before yesterday. For this, 238 polling booths were set up. In this, 1,430 electronic voting machines, 310 VVPAD devices, 286 control devices were used. 1 lakh 11 thousand 25 males, 1 lakh 16 thousand 497 females, 25 persons of the third sex out of a total of 2 lakh 27 thousand 547 voters, in the voter registration held yesterday, 82 thousand 138 males, 88 thousand 37 females, 17 persons of the third sex, a total of 1 lakh. 70 thousand 192 people voted. This is a voter turnout of 74.79%. This is 7.97% higher than last election.
After the polling, all the voting machines were sealed in the presence of the polling agents of the candidates and sent to the counting center at IRDT College of Engineering, Chithod under police protection. The voting machines were kept in the vault there and sealed. In this election, as 77 candidates have contested, the counting of votes will be done in 2 rooms to avoid delay during the counting of votes. Accordingly, a total of 16 tables including 10 tables in the room on the ground floor and 6 tables in the room on the first floor have been set up for counting votes.
Each table will have 3 officials including a micro-inspector to count the votes. The “strong room” where the voting machines are kept is monitored by a web camera. All these cameras are connected to the control room and are monitored 24 hours a day. The counting center has 5 layers of security. Also, Erode and Bhawani fire department have 40 firemen on rotation and are on duty 24 hours a day. Counting of votes will start at 8 am tomorrow. Counting of votes is done in 15 rounds. Postal votes will be counted first. Thereafter, counting of the votes cast in the machines will begin. At 10 am the leading position will be known.
* Maximum 92.89% Minimum 45.37%
In the Erode East by-election, polling booth 38 recorded 92.89 percent votes, polling booth 78 polling 91.25 percent and polling booth 219 polling 89.38 percent. At least 45.37 percent votes have been recorded in the 237th polling station. 1 lakh 70 thousand 192 out of total 2 lakh 27 thousand 547 voters have voted. Officials said that 57 thousand 355 people did not vote.
* Scrutiny of 15% polling booths where additional votes were cast – Collector information
Election observer Rajkumar Yadav and Collector Krishnanunni inspected the counting center yesterday. After that, the Collector said: Due to a technical problem during the voting, we have changed the electronic voting machine in 2 polling stations. Votes cast in faulty electronic voting machines will be counted. Counting of votes will be done in 16 tables. Machines for 238 polling booths will be counted in 15 rounds. More than 100 officials are involved in the counting of votes. Only one table will bring the VV pad and count one or two. 15 percent of the polling stations will be analyzed by counting the number of polling booths where additional votes have been recorded above the average polling. Counting of postal votes will begin at 8 am. Thereafter at 8.30 AM the votes cast in the electronic voting machines will be counted. Since there are 16 tables, 15 will be counted in rounds. As there are 77 candidates it will be completed as soon as possible. The reason why polling has taken place in addition to the last 2021 election is due to the awareness created by the Election Commission. This is what he said.
* Sealing of the Returning Officer’s room containing the postal votes
In the Erode East by-election, all the postal votes cast by government employees and people above 80 years of age have been kept safe in the polling officer’s room. All the postal ballot boxes will be taken to the counting center at 8 am tomorrow and will be unsealed and counted separately in the presence of the agents of the candidates. In this case, all the postal ballot boxes are kept in the room of the Election Officer Sivakumar at the Erode Corporation office, so his room is locked and sealed.