Tiruvannamalai Collector holds consultation meeting ahead of vote counting day

A consultation meeting was held under the leadership of District Collector D Bhaskara Pandian in preparation for the vote counting scheduled on June 4th for the Thiruvannamalai and Arani parliamentary constituencies. The meeting focused on ensuring that the vote counting procedures align with the guidelines set by the Election Commission of India.

During the meeting, it was discussed that Postal Ballot Papers would be counted on 14 desks per counting centre, categorised by each Assembly Constituency. Service Voters’ ETPBS (Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot Papers) and other postal ballots will be counted in a separate room under the supervision of the Returning Officer. It was emphasised that only ETPBS postal ballots received by 8:00 AM on the counting day would be considered, while late arrivals would be dismissed as overdue.

The Collector emphasised the need for a qualified officer to oversee the sorting and sealing of all statutory and non-statutory election documents to ensure timely processing. The status of each counting round will be recorded immediately and displayed on a notice board near the Assistant Returning Officer (ARO). Additionally, Micro Observers will be appointed for each Assembly Constituency to record the candidate-wise counting status. One observer will assist in verifying the round-wise counting of votes, while another will supervise the entry of round-wise counting data into the computer system, ensuring synchronisation with Form 17C and immediate recording in Form 20 Round-wise Tabulation.

The General Supervisor of Elections will post the report of each counting round on the notice board inside the counting centre only after approval. Detailed reports (Form 20) of the vote counts for each round will be sent to the Chief Election Commissioner of Tamil Nadu and the District Election Officer, with all data registered in the ENCORE App.

Arani Parliamentary Constituency Electoral Officer and District Revenue Officer Maru M Priyadarshini conducted the consultation, which was also attended by Assistant (Election) Go Kumaran, Assistant Returning Officers, and Returning Officers. This meeting aimed to ensure that all procedures and roles are clearly defined and understood, promoting a smooth and transparent vote counting process on June 4th.