The first trend of counting of votes for the Ernakulam and Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituencies will be available by 8.30 a.m on Thursday.
The counting of votes will start for both constituencies at 8 a.m. The electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be brought out by 7 a.m. from the strongrooms at the software engineering block in the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) campus and the Government Polytechnic College in Kalamassery.
District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla said on Tuesday that the voter-verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs) would be counted after the EVM counting was over. The votes registered in five VVPATs in each Assembly constituency will be counted and is expected to take nearly five hours.
Twelve EVMs will be counted in each round. Each table will have the presence of a counting supervisor, counting assistant and a micro observer. Nearly 30-35 minutes will be taken to count each round.
Mr. Safirulla said stringent regulations would be in place at the counting centres. Only election officials, candidates, chief counting agent and mediapersons certified by the Election Commission will be permitted inside the centre.
A three-tier security ring has been formed at the two counting centres in Ernakulam.