The Hindu : National : Plan to mix votes in sensitive areas before counting

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Plan to mix votes in sensitive areas before counting

Special Correspondent

Announcement of booth-wise figures sometimes triggered violence: CEC

BANGALORE: The present system of announcing figures for booth-wise votes polled by candidates in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections might soon become a thing of the past in “problematic” areas where there is a fear of such details triggering violence.

The Election Commission is examining the possibility of mixing the votes polled in about 10 booths in sensitive areas before taking them up for counting, Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami said on Tuesday.

Mixing could be done by connecting the electronic voting machines (EVMs) to a central totaliser, which would count the votes together.

But this exercise would be tried only in problematic areas.

Convincing parties

Mr. Gopalaswami said the new system would have to be demonstrated before political parties and they must be convinced of its necessity. The rules had to be amended to provide for incorporating the change in the counting system.

He expressed confidence that it would be possible to introduce the system in the next general elections.

The need for mixing votes was felt when the commission received complaints from some southern parts of Uttar Pradesh that disclosure of booth-wise details had caused trouble, Mr. Gopalaswami said.

Postal ballot

Another change proposed was allowing defence personnel on duty to download postal ballot papers from the Internet to save time. They could send the filled ballots by post.

Now it took too long to send the ballot papers to soldiers deployed in interior locations. In fact, many postal ballots returned empty as it was difficult to trace addresses.

Next elections

When were the Karnataka Assembly by-elections likely to be held? Mr. Gopalaswami said the procedure was to hold them within six months of the vacancies arising.

What about Lok Sabha elections? “I myself do not know,” he said

He was speaking to journalists here after inspecting the Modernised Mass Manufacturing Facility of Bharat Electronics Limited, which will roll out EVMs, among other devices.

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