New Delhi (PTI): Unlike previous elections, the results of this year polls were bit delayed thanks to the random re-checking of EVMs, a provision introduced by the Election Commission to ensure fool-proof counting.
Counting of votes registered in EVM machines usually does not take more than four hours for an assembly seat. However, the counting continued for six hours in many constituencies in Delhi.
"It is because, the EC has introduced the provision of random checking. The poll observer makes random checking of two EVMs after every round of counting. So the process is delayed," Bhupinder Singh, a Returning Officer at N P Middle School where the counting was conducted for the New Delhi seat, told PTI.
This provision has been introduced to ensure fool-proof counting, he said.
"It is a sort of double checking. After the random check, the votes are compiled and round-wise results are announced," he said.
What added to the delay is that the ballot papers were sent by post. This year, there were more number of ballot papers which were counted manually," he said.
The counting of ballot papers was conducted before the officials started counting votes from EVMs.