1. Symposium on “Sharing Best Electoral Practices” Innovative Practices in Election Management Web-based software application for tabulation of counting H Narzary, IAS K J Hilaly, ACS

2. Introduction Use of Electronic Voting Machines has resulted in benefit accrual during the counting process too, by reducing time required for actual counting. However, the tabulation and computation process that follows or runs parallel to counting dilutes this advantage as it takes much longer to be completed and consequently, the declaration of results is delayed.

3. Introduction To address the issues of delayed generation of tabulated reports and possible errors while collating counting data received from the counting tables in the counting halls, the CEOs office decided to use the services of the state NIC unit to develop a software application that envisaged one time entry of result of counting from each table for all rounds in each counting hall and auto-generation of various reports that are required under the Rules or were required as per instructions of the ECI.

4. BASIC HARDWARE USED IN COUNTING CENTERS A client machine was installed in each counting hall and all client machines in the counting center were connected through Local Area Network (LAN) to a server that had VoB connectivity, including back up from some other Internet Service Provider. Even in cases where counting for one LA segment was carried over two counting halls, the DEOs arranged one PC in each counting hall for entry of table wise, round wise result of counting.

5. BASIC HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS Basic details of hardware stipulated for use at the counting centers was as follows: Server Configuration: HDD 76GB X 76 GB Configured in Raid 1 RAM Size (Min) 4 GB Lan Card 10/100/1000 Mbps (2 Nos minimum) P IV OS with Windows 2000/XP/2003

6. BASIC HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS Client machines: One per counting hall Configuration: RAM Size 512 MB (Minimum), preferably 1 GB HDD 40-80 GB (Minimum) OS: Windows XP with IE6.0Anti virus installed (Symantec or Quick Heal etc.)

7. Software The software was developed by Assam Unit of the NIC with ASP.NET 2.0 and was AJAX enabled so that it could process user requests expeditiously by allowing content of web pages to update immediately when a user performs an action. The application was very robust and user friendly.

8. Software For reducing scope of congestion, the front end was kept on a separate application server while back end database was kept in another database server.

9. S/W for Tabulation of Counting Results The Software is accessed at three levels. RETURNING OFFICER (RO) ASST RETURNING OFFICER(ARO) IN CHARGE OF THE COUNTING HALL THE DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICER (DEO)

11. S/W for Tabulation of Counting Results Automatic log in was provided at the levels of the ARO in charge of the counting hall, the DEO and the RO, with separate passwords provided to each.

13. ARO LOGIN

14. After having logged in, the ARO was required to select the 17 C Part II (Entry) option for actual data entry in the counting hall.

16. ARO LOGIN ARO was then to Select HPC name Counting Centre name Assembly Constituency name Hall Number (all from drop down lists) After selection of these options, the following form was displayed.

19. ARO Reports Reports that were auto-generated at ARO level are: Form P07 -Hall-wise, round-wise detailed track of votes received by the Candidates.

20. ARO Reports – P07

22. ARO Reports Form 20 Part I- PS wise votes received by Candidates (with names of polling stations)

23. ARO Reports - Form 20 Part I

24. ARO Reports Annexure for tabulating trends/ results (for cross checking as per instructions in Para 24.2 of Chapter XIV –Counting of Votes in HBRO, 2009 -for use by Observers

25. ARO Reports - Annexure for tabulating trends/ results

26. RO Login

27. RO Login – Postal Votes Entry

28. RO Reports At the RO level the following reports are generated automatically: Form 20 Part II – LA segment wise votes received by candidates for the entire HPC

29. RO Reports – Form 20 Part II

30. RO Reports P08-Assembly segment wise, candidate wise details of votes received

31. RO Reports – P08

32. RO Reports P09-Final Result for Parliamentary Constituency

33. RO Reports – P09

34. RO Reports Form 21 E –Return of Election

35. RO Reports – Form 21 E

36. RO Reports RESULT DECLARED OPTION This option was made available only to the ROs. This was to be used only after counting had been completed in all LA segments under the HPC. In fact, this button is auto enabled only after counting is complete in all LA segments under the HPC.

37. RO Reports – Declaration of Result

38. DEO Reports

39. CONCLUSIONS As a direct consequence of use of this software for automatically generating reports, tabulation of figures of counting by the ROs/ AROs could be completed in a very short time and results of counting could be formally declared relatively earlier than in past years and to that extent, the endeavour made by the CEOs office proved very effective and beneficial to the field functionaries in accurate and expeditious compilation of results.

40. CONCLUSIONS The reports generated at various levels were shorn of errors or inconsistencies and the need to cross check the figures across different forms, that was a requirement in earlier elections and took a long time, became redundant.

41. CONCLUSIONS Since the software also generated reports that were required by the Election Observers, it made the task of the Observers easier.

42. CONCLUSIONS The reports in P07 format that were auto- generated at the end of each round of counting by the AROs for each LA segment were used for data entry in the ECI Genesys software after vetting by the Observers and this ensured that the data uploaded on Genesys was quickly done and was done without errors.

43. CONCLUSIONS Connectivity was an issue of concern because of the remoteness of some counting center locations and there was sometimes the need to shift to alternate or back up connectivity to enter data and retrieve it from the server. Significantly, at no point was connectivity completely severed between the counting centers and the Guwahati Election server. However, even in case of severing of connectivity, reports required could be generated by the AROs/ DEOs from the proxy server in the counting centers.

44. CONCLUSIONS The need for the DEOs to arrange Client machines for each counting hall and a proxy server at each of the counting center locations was challenging but this issue was handled extremely well. The option of using fewer number of client machines in a central data management cell in the counting center, in case of shortage of such machines, remains open.