No. 470/98/JSII/
Dated 13.02.1998
To,
The Chief Electoral Officers of
All States and Union Territories.
Subject : General Elections to House of
People, 1998-Procedure for counting of
votes-Appointment of counting personnel and counting
agents – regarding.
Sir,
I am directed to say that the Commission has decided
that the votes shall be counted by mixing of ballot
papers, in all constituencies at the current general
elections to the House of the People and State
Legislative Assemblies and also at the bye-elections
being held to some of the State Legislative
Assemblies simultaneously. Necessary notifications in
this regard under rule 59A of the Conduct of Election
Rules, 1961 are being issued separately.
2. As per existing directions/instructions of the
Commission, only one set of counting personnel and
counting agents are allowed to be appointed for the
whole process of counting of votes. Commission has
taken note of the fact that where the system of
counting of mixing of ballot papers is followed the
counting process takes a considerable long time and
counting agents and counting personnel face
difficulties in terms of continuous work over an
extended period.
3. The Commission has reviewed its existing
directions/instructions in the matter and has decided
to (i) allow the contesting candidates to change
their counting agents, if they so desire, and replace
them with a new set of counting agents once and (ii)
permit the Returning Officers to appoint two sets of
counting personnel and put them it shift duties, in
the manner explained below.
4. Under the mixing system of counting of votes, the
counting is done in two distinct and separate stages.
In the first or the initial stage, all ballot boxes
are opened polling station wise, the ballot papers
contained therein are counted for numbers, such
number tallied with the ballot paper account, ballot
papers so taken out of the ballot boxes are made into
bundles of 25 each, and all such bundles are mixed
together in a big drum or receptacle. In the second
stage, the detailed scrutiny of ballot papers and
their distribution candidate-wise is taken up, with
1000 ballot papers (contained in 40 bundles) being so
counted at each counting table.
5. The first stage itself takes up normally 6 to 8
hours and the change of counting agents at this stage
would also help the contesting candidates to bring in
fresh counting agents. Therefore, the candidates
shall be permitted to change their counting agents at
this stage, if they so desires. It may be
noted that the change of counting agents shall be
permitted only after the first stage is over and
before the second stage is taken up. The counting
agents shall not be replaced at any other stage,
except as mentioned above. For this purpose, the
candidates shall have to furnish the lists of both
sets of their counting agents (alongwith their
photographs) during the very same period as is
available to them now for the submission of their
lists of counting agents, i.e., by 1700 hours on the
day three days preceeding the date fixed for the
counting of votes.
6. At this very stage, i.e., after first stage is
over and before second is taken up, the counting
personnel, i.e., counting supervisors and counting
assistants, etc. , shall also be changed by the
Returning Officer. The old set of counting
personnel having already worked for 6 to 8 hours
feels fatigued by the time the second stage of
counting is taken up. The new set of counting
personnel being fresh for the job could work with
more energy and speed and this would quicken the
counting process. This will also remove the diffculty
of being required to continuously do duty for very
long hours.
7. Apart from the above, the Commission has further
directed that the following points may be strictly
observed during the counting process :-
(i) The trays in which the ballot papers for
respective candidates are kept on each counting table
at the time of detailed scrutiny of ballot papers for
distribution candidate-wise, should be kept slightly
slanting and facing the candidates’ agents who
sit across the wooden barrier/wiremesh so that the
agents can seen and ensure that the ballot papers are
being put by the counting personnel in the right
trays of the candidates concerned.
(ii) The wooden barrier or the wiremesh between the
counting tables and the seats of the counting agents
should be so placed that the counting agents are able
to watch the whole counting process, being undertaken
on the counting tables by the counting supervisors
and counting agents, and object to the validity or
otherwise of the ballot papers being counted. Proper
setting arrangements should also made for the
counting agents by providing them with reasonably
comfortable chairs.
(iii) At the end of each round of counting, when the
result of that round is announced, the observer, if
he is present at that time in the counting hall,
should countersign the result sheet for that round in
token of the correctness of the counting sheet only
and to obviate any chance of that sheet being
manipulated or tampered with, at the stage of its
incorporation in the final result sheet (Form 20). If
the observer is, for any reason, not present in the
counting hall when the result of any round is
announced, the countersigning would be done by the
Assistant Returning Officer and any Observer visiting
the counting centre next should check the result
sheet for that round soon after he comes to the
counting hall and contersigned the same after
checking its correctness. All such round wise result
sheets, duly countersigned by the Asstt. Returning
Officer/Observer, should be attached by the Returning
Officer to the final result sheet (Form 20).
8. The contents of the above may be brought to the
notice of all District Election Officers/Returning
Officers and other concerned authorities immediately
for their information and strict compliance.
Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
(B N CHAWLA)
SECRETARY
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