Tamil Nadu Vote Counting to Begin at 8 AM on May 4 Across 62 Centres
Vote counting for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will begin at 8:00 AM on May 4 at 62 counting centres across the state. The announcement was made by Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik.
The Assembly elections for all 234 constituencies were conducted on April 23 in a single phase, recording a strong voter turnout of 85.10%.
Step-by-Step Counting Process
As per official guidelines, the counting process will follow a structured schedule:
- 8:00 AM – Counting of postal ballots begins
- 8:30 AM – Counting of EVM (Electronic Voting Machine) votes starts
- The final round of EVM counting will be taken up only after all postal ballots are fully counted
Separate halls and tables have been arranged at each centre to ensure smooth and transparent counting.
High Number of Postal Votes Recorded
A large number of voters used postal ballots in this election:
- Around 2.88 lakh election staff (80%) voted through postal ballots
- Including police and other officials, a total of 3.36 lakh personnel used postal voting
- About 1.10 lakh officials voted directly at polling stations using duty certificates
- Nearly 1.73 lakh senior citizens (85+) and persons with disabilities cast their votes via postal ballots
- Around 18,000 service voters have voted, and their ballots will be accepted until 8 AM on May 4
Security and Special Arrangements
All EVMs have been kept in high-security strong rooms at the counting centres. Authorities have ensured strict monitoring and safety measures.
In addition, special voting arrangements were made for about 6.37 lakh voters, improving accessibility and participation.
