What is meant by rounds in Indian election vote counting?

Answer 1

The first round of counting usually takes around 45 minutes, subsequent rounds about 15 minutes each. One round means counting of votes recorded in a set of upto 14 EVMs. Counting in first round takes longer because of formalities. Counting for each constituency usually comprises between 11 and 24 rounds.

At the end of each round, the result of that round and the progressive total is announced. The result is compiled by summing up the round-wise totals.

The details are handed out to candidates and their polling agents after each round.

The results of each round go through seven levels of cross-checking to eliminate all doubt.

Details are shared with candidates and their polling agents, who cannot touch the EVMs, so that objections are not raised later.

The votes are stored permanently in the memory chip of the EVM until it is intentionally cleared to ready the machine for another election. Removing the machine's battery does not affect its memory.

The manufacturers of the EVMs have developed an auxiliary display unit, where the results can be seen most of the time if the original display fails.

Earlier there was a system of mixing ballot papers so that the voting preference in a particular polling station is not known.

A device called Totaliser has been developed by the manufacturers of the EVMs. It can be connected to several control units at a time. It will indicate the total number of votes polled at each station where these EVMs had been used as well as the grand total. The number of votes polled by each candidate will, however, be shown for the whole group of polling stations at which the EVMs were used and not for individual polling stations making it impossible to know the pattern of voting at a particular polling station.

After cross-checks and formalities, results are formally declared after approximately eight hours. The actual counting does not usually take more than six hours.