Imphal West gears up for vote count on Mar 10
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 08 2022: The District Election Officer (DEO), Imphal West has taken up necessary measures for smooth and peaceful counting of votes for the 13 Assembly segments of the district.

Speaking to media persons at his Lamphelpat office this afternoon, Imphal West DEO Th Kirankumar said that counting of votes for eight Assembly segments would be held in four counting halls of the DC office complex, Lamphelpat.

Postal ballots/ETPBS would be counted in another counting hall of the same office complex.

In total, there would be five counting halls in Imphal West DC office complex.

Votes for two Assembly segments would be counted in each of the four counting halls.

Imphal West gears up for vote count on Mar 10

Keishamthong AC and Singjamei AC would be counted in one hall, Sekmai AC and Lamsang AC in another hall, Konthoujam AC and Patsoi AC in the third hall and Wangoi AC and Mayang Imphal AC in the fourth hall, Kirankumar said.

There would be five other counting halls in DM College of Teachers' Education (DMCTE) where votes of five other Assembly segments would be counted.

Counting of votes for Thangmeiband AC, Sagolband AC, Uripok AC, Langthabal AC and Naoriya Pakhanglakpa AC would be done in the counting halls of DMCTE.

In total, there would be 10 counting halls in Imphal West district and each hall would have seven counting tables.

The numbers of rounds of counting votes would be determined based on the number of polling stations of respective Assembly Constituencies, the DEO said.

EVMs used for casting votes in Keishamthong AC, Singjamei AC, Sekmai AC, Lamsang AC, Konthoujam AC, Patsoi AC, Wangoi AC and Mayang Imphal AC are being kept separately in eight strong rooms of the DC office complex, he informed.

EVMs used in Thangmeiband AC, Uripok AC, Sagolband AC, Langthabal AC and Naoriya Pakhanglakpa AC are being kept separately in five other strong rooms at DMCTE.

The strong rooms would be opened at 7 am of March 10.Necessary security arrangement to take the EVMs from the strong rooms to counting halls has been made, Kirankumar said.

After the postal ballots are counted starting from 8 am, counting of EVM votes would begin from 8.30 am.

Returning Officers having two ACs would take up counting in sequential manner, one after completion of another.

Necessary measures have been initiated to deploy three-tier security arrangement so that counting of votes can be done smoothly and peacefully.

There would be a separate layer of security forces for strong rooms and counting halls inside another security layer which would be deployed inside the DC office complex and DMCTE complex.

There would be another security layer just outside the DC office complex and the DMCTE complex, he informed.

Saying that counting agents are very important in the process of counting votes, the DEO asked all counting agents to bring identity cards issued by concerned ROs, double dose Covid vaccination certificate or RT-PCR test report done within 72 hours.

Counting agents would not be allowed to use mobile phone or camera inside counting halls nor would they be allowed to move from one table to another, he said.

If the counting agents do not cooperate with regard to these regulations, they may be dismissed by the ROs concerned, the DEO said.

Counting agents would not be allowed to move outside the counting complexes until the counting of votes is completely over.

All the counting complexes would have toilet as well as drinking water facilities.

All the ROs would have mobile phone collection centres and counting agents would be given back their mobile phones only when the counting of votes is completely over, he said.

Copies of the number of votes registered in each EVM and postal ballots would be made available to all counting agents.

Counting agents of candidates who go neck to neck during the counting should refrain from giving unofficial information/data to their respective candidates for it may cause anxiety and jeopardise the counting process.

They may pass on information based on the official copies which would be provided to them by ROs, the DEO added.