A total of 493 election officials will be involved in counting of votes for the Erode Lok Sabha constituency to be held on the premises of Institute of Road Transport Technology (IRTT) at Chithode on May 23.
Collector C. Kathiravan said that votes polled in 1,678 polling stations in six Assembly segments in the constituency that comprises Erode South, Erode East, Modakurichi, Kumarapalayam, Kangayam and Dharapuram were kept at the strong rooms under three-tier security. He said that counting of postal votes will begin at 8 a.m. followed by counting of votes polled in Electronic Voting Machines at 8.30 a.m. He said that 17 supervisors, 17 assistants, 17 micro-observers, 15 office assistants and 10 technical assistants would be monitoring the process for each Assembly segments in the counting process. A total of 456 officials would be involved in the counting apart from 37 officials to be involved in counting of postal votes.
Mr. Kathiravan said that there would be 14 tables and counting of votes may extend up to 24 rounds. A total of 100 surveillance cameras, 96 web cameras and videographers would be recording the entire process. A total of 133 policemen would be posted for duty on rotation basis during the process. He said that persons, who were provided the identity card by the Election Commission of India, will only be allowed inside the premises. Two-wheelers and mobiles phones are not allowed inside the premises.
A 10-member doctors team, fire service personnel, drinking water facility and other basic amenities were made available on the premises, he added.