The Election Commission of India has directed that postal ballots be counted before the final rounds of EVM votes, marking its 30th major reform in the past six months.The move announced in a Press Information Bureau (PIB) notification on Thursday, September 25, is aimed at reducing delays and ensuring uniformity in the counting process.
Postal ballots take precedence
Under the revised rules, the penultimate round of EVM and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) counting will begin only after the postal ballot count has been completed at the centre concerned.
Postal ballot counting starts at 8 am on the day of results, followed by EVM counting at 8.30 am. Until now, EVM rounds could technically get ahead of postal ballots. While postal votes usually finish earlier, the Commission said the rise in numbers due to home voting for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and electors above 85 years had made formal changes necessary.
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Measures to prevent delays
To address the higher volumes, Returning Officers have been directed to set up adequate counting tables and deploy sufficient staff. “This will ensure the process is further streamlined and completed without delay,” the ECI said.
Part of wider electoral reforms
The latest instruction is the 30th measure introduced since March. According to the PIB, the Commission has already undertaken 29 reforms covering voter convenience, transparency, and technology adoption.
These include delisting 808 unrecognised political parties, capping the number of voters at a polling station at 1,200, issuing standard photo ID cards to booth-level officers, holding 4,719 all-party meetings across the country, and launching the ECINET platform that brings together more than 40 digital applications.
Push for clarity and transparency
The Commission said the new directive reinforces its focus on efficiency, clarity, and transparency in the electoral process. Officials noted that the changes are expected to minimise confusion and delays during counting, particularly in constituencies with a high share of postal votes.
