Vote counting for Haryana elections to begin at 8 AM on October 8 with tight security measures in place

Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], October 7 (ANI): The counting of votes for the Haryana Assembly General Elections 2024 will begin at 8 AM on Tuesday, according to Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal.

Agarwal announced that 93 counting centres have been set up across the state’s 22 districts for the 90 assembly constituencies. Badshahpur, Gurugram, and Pataudi will each have two counting centres, while the remaining 87 constituencies will each have one, the Election Commission of India said in a statement quoting Agarwal.

To ensure a smooth counting process, the Election Commission of India has appointed 90 counting observers.

“A total of 30 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed at the 93 counting centres,” the official release quoted Agarwal as saying.

The counting centres will have a three-tier security system, with central security forces at the innermost level, state armed police in the middle, and district police on the outermost layer.

Approximately 12,000 police personnel will be deployed at the counting centres.

Further, according to the ECI’s statement, “adequate checkpoints have been set up within a 100-metre perimeter of each counting centre.”

CCTV cameras will monitor all 90 strong rooms housing the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to ensure the security of the voting equipment. Unauthorised individuals will be prohibited from entering these areas, and additional cameras will monitor the main entrances and the overall premises.

Counting will begin with postal ballots, followed by the counting of EVMs after a 30-minute interval. Results will be updated in real-time. The strong rooms will be opened in the presence of candidates, their representatives, Returning Officers, and ECI observers, with videography taking place. Mobile phones will not be allowed inside the counting centres.

The public and political party representatives are advised not to crowd the counting centres and to check results online at the Election Commission of India’s website or through the Voter Helpline App.

Media centres will be set up for the press to receive the latest updates, and only authorised personnel will be allowed entry into the counting centres.