The stage is set in Tamil Nadu for a high-stakes vote count on May 4, covering votes from 75,064 polling booths and postal papers at 62 purpose-built centers. Infrastructure boasts 234 halls for EVM scrutiny and 240 extra spaces for postal ballot counting, equipped with 3,324 tables to manage the workload efficiently.
Over 10,545 trained staff, including ROs and AROs, will drive the process, aided by 4,624 micro-observers for fairness. ECI’s 234 constituency observers will enforce strict adherence to protocols. Postal vote tables are scaled at one per 500 ballots, with 1,135 AROs on standby.
Unprecedented security measures feature three layers: an outer 100-meter cordon with police checks at gates, state armed police managing perimeter control and banning mobiles beyond specified areas, and CAPF securing inner sanctums with rigorous searches.
Bolstering this, 65 CAPF units are positioned statewide. A game-changing innovation is the mandatory QR-coded photo IDs scanned at the innermost checkpoint via ECINET, applicable to everyone from officials and technicians to candidates and agents.
The countdown begins at 8 AM for postal votes, EVMs at 8:30 AM. Live announcements via PA systems and ECINET app updates will keep the public informed, marking a transparent chapter in Tamil Nadu’s electoral history.
