After the close of voting at 4:30 pm, the official vote counting process for the national parliamentary election commences following a predefined legal protocol. Voters who are within the polling center’s premises by the closing time are permitted to cast their votes. Once voting concludes, the presiding officer seals the ballot boxes in the presence of candidates’ polling agents, while any unused ballot papers are accounted for separately.
The counting procedure typically initiates at the polling station, where officials conduct an initial check to verify the consistency between the number of ballots cast and the voter list. Subsequently, the ballot boxes are unsealed, and each ballot paper undergoes individual scrutiny.
Throughout the counting phase, the ballots are categorized according to the respective candidates. A ballot is considered valid if it bears a single symbol stamp placed correctly. Ballots with multiple symbols, unclear markings, or any irregularities are subject to invalidation as per electoral regulations, with the presiding officer having the authority to resolve disputes concerning such ballots.
Upon completion of the counting process, a Statement of Result document is generated at the center, detailing the outcomes. The results are announced in the presence of candidates’ representatives, who are entitled to receive copies of the statement.
The results from each center are then transmitted to the returning officer, who consolidates the data from all polling stations within the constituency to declare the unofficial outcome for the seat.
Subsequently, the Election Commission (EC) releases the unofficial results for the seat before issuing the official results via a gazette notification.