Starting with Bihar, EC tweaks rules for counting postal ballots

NEW DELHI: EC on Thursday revised the rules relating to counting of postal ballots, making it mandatory for all postal ballot papers to be counted before the penultimate round of EVM/VVPATs counting is taken up.

The new practice will be first implemented in Bihar where assembly polls are due in Nov.

This restores the arrangement prior to May 2019, when EC had changed the guidelines to allow EVM counting to proceed regardless of postal ballot counting stage. The 2019 change did not rule out chances of EVM counting being completed before postal ballot counting.

INDIA bloc had, during the 2024 elections, objected to the 2019 rule change and demanded a return to the old system, citing cases where the margin of victory was less than the postal ballots polled. Complaining that the result in a close election may depend on the number of postal ballots rejected or held valid, the bloc had asked EC to issue directions in consonance with Rule 54A of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, which says "the returning officer shall first deal with the postal ballot papers...".

According to EC's instructions, the rule relating to the start of counting of postal ballots 30 minutes before EVM counting remains unchanged. In its 30th reform in six months, EC said guidelines were being revised in view of the substantial increase in postal ballots.