Tamil Nadu CEO Announces Security and Counting Arrangements for 4 May Vote Count

GENERAL ELECTION TO TAMIL NADU LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY – 2026 Counting of Votes for the General Election to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly – 2026: Counting of votes for the General Election to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly – 2026 will be held on May 4, 2026. The counting of votes polled in 75,064 polling stations, along with the postal ballots received, will be conducted at 62 counting centres set up for this purpose. 234 counting halls have been set up to count the votes recorded in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). In the same premises, an additional 240 halls have been allotted to count postal ballots and Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballots (ETPBs). A total of 3,324 tables will be used for counting the recorded votes. The counting work will be carried out with the assistance of Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers. A total of 10,545 personnel have been deployed for the counting work; in addition, 4,624 Micro Observers will assist them in order to ensure transparency and fairness in the counting process. The Election Commission of India has appointed a total of 234 Counting Observers — one for each Assembly constituency — to supervise the counting operations and to ensure strict compliance with the Commission's instructions. For counting postal ballots, one counting table has been set up for every 500 votes. In this connection, 1,135 additional Assistant Returning Officers have been deployed. To ensure the integrity and smooth conduct of the counting process, elaborate three-tier security arrangements have been made at all centres: • First tier (outer perimeter): A security cordon has been established at a radius of 100 metres around each counting centre. Only authorised persons will be permitted to enter this zone. Adequate police personnel will be posted at the entry gates to verify identity proofs and conduct proper frisking. • Second tier (middle zone): The entry gates of the counting premises will be guarded by State Armed Police. They will regulate entry into the premises and prevent unauthorised movement. Use of mobile phones and other communication devices will be permitted only in designated areas. • Third tier (inner zone): This most critical security layer, located at the entrance to the counting halls and the EVM strong rooms, will be managed by Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Rigorous checks will be carried out to ensure that mobile phones and other prohibited items are not taken into the counting halls. To further strengthen security arrangements, in addition to the local police and State Armed Police, 65 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed at the counting centres. Further, for the first time, the Election Commission of India has introduced a QR-code-based photo identity card system through ECINET to prevent unauthorised persons from entering the counting centres. At the third and innermost security checkpoint, entry will be permitted only after the QR code is scanned and successfully verified. These QR-code-based photo identity cards are mandatory for all persons permitted to enter the counting centres and halls, including Returning Officers, Assistant Returning Officers, counting personnel, technical staff, candidates, election agents and counting agents. Vote counting will commence at 8.00 AM with the counting of postal ballots, followed by the counting of votes recorded in EVMs at 8.30 AM. Round-wise results for all Assembly constituencies will be announced by the respective Returning Officers through the public address systems at the respective centres. These results will also be reflected on the ECINET app. Further, results can also be viewed at results.eci.gov.in. "Election Festival – A Grand Festival of Tamil Nadu" ARCHANA PATNAIK, CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER, TAMIL NADU. Issued By: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9 For Latest Election News: