The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced its 30th reform initiative: streamlining the counting process of postal ballots.
This comes on the heels of 29 other reforms rolled out over the past six months, all aimed at modernizing and refining India’s electoral machinery.
The new directive mandates that the penultimate round of EVM/VVPAT counting will commence only after postal ballot counting is completed at respective centers. This change addresses concerns over potential discrepancies and ensures uniformity across counting centers.
With the recent expansion of home voting for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and senior citizens aged 85+, the volume of postal ballots has surged. To accommodate this, the Commission has instructed Returning Officers (ROs) to deploy adequate tables and staff to prevent delays.
This reform complements a wide array of initiatives including mobile deposit facilities at polling stations, enhanced voter information slips, 100% webcasting at polling booths, and the launch of ECINET—a digital platform integrating over 40 apps for voters and stakeholders.
