Kolkata, May 4: As counting gets underway across 293 constituencies in West Bengal today, millions of voters are watching the numbers change by the round on their screens — but few understand the precise mechanics of how those numbers are generated, why postal ballots are counted first, and what safeguards exist before a Returning Officer can formally declare a winner. Here is a complete explainer based on the official counting process document issued by Arindam Niyogi, Additional Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal.
What is a postal ballot and why is it counted first?
A postal ballot is a vote cast by an eligible voter who cannot physically be present at their designated polling booth on election day. This includes certain categories of government servants, military personnel, senior citizens above 85 years of age, persons with disabilities, and essential service workers. These voters are issued a special ballot paper — called the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System or ETPBS in its digital form — which they fill and return by post or through designated channels to the Returning Officer before a fixed deadline.
On counting day, postal ballot and ETPBS counting begins first, in a separate counting hall, before EVM counting begins. Only ballots received before the fixed cutoff hour are counted. The process involves opening Cover B — designated Form 13-C — verifying the Form 13-A declaration made by the voter, and counting only those ballots that are found to be valid. ETPBS ballots are pre-scanned using QR readers before being assigned to postal ballot counting tables, adding a digital verification layer to the process.
The reason postal ballots are counted first is administrative — they take longer to process individually than EVM results, and beginning them earlier ensures that the final consolidated tally, which must include both postal and EVM votes, can be declared without unnecessary delay.
How does EVM counting work?
Electronic Voting Machine counting begins 30 minutes after postal ballot counting commences — so at 8:30 AM on counting day, once postal ballots are already being processed. Only the Control Units of EVMs — the component that stores the votes — are brought to the counting tables, and they are brought in strict serial order of polling stations, one round at a time.
At each table, the counting supervisor first verifies the paper seal integrity of the Control Unit, confirming it has not been tampered with since polling day. The Result button is then pressed, and the votes stored in that Control Unit are displayed on the screen. These figures are noted in Form 17-C Part-II, the official round-wise result sheet. Once all tables in a round have completed this process and results are recorded, the next round’s Control Units are brought in. This continues round by round until all polling stations in the constituency have been accounted for.
This round-wise process is what produces the rolling seat leads and trends visible on television and news portals throughout counting day — each round adds more booths to the tally, gradually building toward the full constituency result.
What happens before a winner is formally declared?
Once all rounds of counting are complete for a constituency, the process of formal declaration begins — and it involves multiple layers of authorisation that cannot be bypassed. The Returning Officer must first obtain the written authorisation of the Election Commission Observer assigned to that constituency. The Observer is required to independently satisfy himself about the fairness and accuracy of the counting process before giving this authorisation. Only after receiving the Observer’s written clearance can the Returning Officer proceed.
The Returning Officer then completes Form 20 — the final consolidated result sheet — and obtains a No Objection Certificate from the Observer. Only after both these steps are completed is the winning candidate formally declared by public announcement. This means that even after every vote is counted, a candidate cannot be declared elected without the Observer’s explicit sign-off.
What happens to EVMs after counting?
Once results are declared, the EVMs do not simply go into storage and get forgotten. Power packs are removed from all Control Units, which are then placed back in their carrying cases and sealed. The Returning Officer signs the seal, and all candidates’ and election agents present are permitted to affix their signatures as well. All seals must be co-signed by the Returning Officer, the Assistant Returning Officer, and the candidate or counting agents — a multi-party authentication that creates a tamper-evident record.
The sealed EVMs — both Ballot Units and Control Units — along with VVPATs, which are stored separately in a designated warehouse, are then moved to the District Strong Room. They cannot be opened until the Election Petition period is over, which is determined by when the list of Election Petitions is received from the respective High Court. If an Election Petition challenging the result is filed, the EVMs remain in the District Electoral Officer’s safe custody until the court has reached a final disposal of the case. This provision ensures that the physical evidence of votes cast remains available for judicial scrutiny if any candidate contests the outcome.