What is the line on postal voting ballots? Can they have an impact on the result of the ballot? – Firstpost

Before the results of the elections of Lok Sabha, on June 4, a large hubbub appeared on the postal voting bulletins with the alliance indicating the electoral commission from postal ballots, then finalizes the electronic voting machine (EVM ).

The members of the Alliance Indi met on Sunday, the CE officials, asking that they emit “clear and detailed guidelines for the counting process”. The opposition block also asked for clarification on the counting of postal voting ballots, under the conduct of the electoral rules of 1961, and guaranteeing a safe movement of control over the video surveillance of control units.

The head of the congress, Abhishek Singhvi, addressing the media after the meeting, said: “We presented two to three important problems before the elections, the most important being the counting of postal bulletins. Postal voting bulletins can swing election results and can be decisive. »»

While the line swirls, we explain what the postal voting ballots are, what are the rules for counting these votes and their importance for an election.

What are the postal bulletins?

The postal ballot, also known as the voting by absent, is a method through which certain individuals can exercise their electoral duty by sending them to the postal rather than in person in a polling station. This system serves as a practical alternative to people unable to vote in person due to various circumstances, such as being far from their origin district, facing a handicap or performing essential services on the day of the ballot.

According to the rules, the postal ballot is only authorized for a few selected people. These include members of the armed forces, paramilitary forces and other government employees, who may not be in their origin district. Electoral officials who are in service in other polling stations are also eligible for the postal voting bulletin. In addition, other representatives of the government who are unable to be present in their origin district on the day of the survey have the opportunity to vote by postal vote. Even the elderly and physically difficulties are allowed to use this method to vote.

And this electoral season, the electoral commission has also authorized the media on the tasks relating to the coverage of the ballot day to vote by postal vote. Until now, all those who covered past general elections have been refused the right to vote because of their distance from their respective polling stations.

To request this option, voters must request form 12 D, to the return manager (RO) of their respective constituency. After that, they receive their voting bulletin by post, which they must fill out, providing their signature and other relevant details.

Once they have finished, voters seal the marked voting bulletin and the declaration form inside the secret sleeve and place it in a prepaid return envelope. They must then send the return envelope to the designated address within a specified time.

What is the rule to count postal voting ballots?

Now that we have understood what a postal bulletin is and which is eligible, here are the rules to count the postal voting ballots.

Postal voting bulletins are counted separately from the votes expressed in the polling stations. On the day of the counting, which will take place on June 4 this time, the counting of the postal bulletins is resumed before the counting before the counting of the electronic voting machine (EVM). According to the rules, all postal bulletins had to be counted before the EVM count could be completed.

“In any case, the results of all the EVM counting cycles should be announced before finalizing the counting of postal voting ballots,” said the CE manual for the counting of agents in February 2019.

However, in May 2019, the EC modified the counting rules for postal voting ballots, declaring that the EVM count “can continue regardless of the counting of postal voting ballots”. This means that the postal bulletin count would start 30 minutes before counting the EVM, but it does not need to be finished before the EVM votes are counted.

In addition, this has also changed the rule of telling postal voting ballots. Initially, the postal voting ballots were told if the margin of a victory was less than the total number of postal voting ballots. However, now the postal bulletins which are rejected as non -valid would be revised if the margin is less than the number of these bulletins, according to a News18 report.

The change in the counting was made as the number of postal voting bulletins increased due to the introduction of the postal voting system transmitted electronic (ETPBS) and the compulsory counting of VVPAT shifts.

In particular, during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 22.71 Lakh bulletins of valid votes of 60.76 crores were postal voting bulletins, reported that the Indian Express. And according to the CE, this number will only be high this time.

What is the India alliance tetras?

Abhishek Manu Singhvi of Congress, addressing the media on Sunday following the meeting with the officials of the EC, said: “Our complaint is that this directive was given. They repealed the practice.

“The electoral commission has changed this statutory rule through directives. Consequently, it is no longer necessary to first declare the results of the postal voting ballot. But statutory rules cannot be changed via directives. For a field of play, it is important that the old rules are followed. »»

https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/1797255558761697325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Sitaram Yechury of CPI (M) also said that postal ballots should be counted first on the day of counting. “The requests were that until the 2019 elections, the procedure and the law were that the postal bulletins would be counted and announced, and after that, the EVM count would begin. We say it should be followed, ”he was quoted as saying Ani.

Do post bulletins really count?

Yes; The postal voting bulletins are very important and, sometimes, decide the fate of a candidate. For example, according to the India alliance, the elections to assembling the Bihar 2020 highlight the service of postal voting ballots.

At the time, the winning margin of the state was 12,700 votes, while the number of postal ballots was 52,000. The leaders of the opposition block said that there was a “huge outcry” During the elections when postal votes had been counted “at the end of the count” of electronic votes.

And it is not the only time, the postal votes had. During the elections of the Assembly of the Assembly of Arunache Pradesh 2019, these votes changed the fortune of a BJP candidate. At the time, the Ealing Tallang of the BJP of the constituency of the Assembly is septpa obtained 3,759 votes at the end of the counting of the votes of the EVM. However, when the postal bulletin count was resumed, the scenario has changed. His opponent, from the National People’s Party received 474 postal votes, against 396. And with this, the NPP candidate was declared a winner, obtaining a total of 4,184, against 4,155 votes from Tallang.

What did it say now?

The chief election commissioner at a press conference said on Monday that the same process was followed in the 2019 and 2022 assembly elections. “The counting of postal bulletins will begin first. After only half an hour, we will start counting EVM. There is no doubt about it. As soon as the EVM count takes place on five random VVPAT accounts begins, “said Kumar.

With agency entries