Data lag: ECI app shows outdated figures three days post-Kerala polling

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three days after the Kerala Assembly elections, the Election Commission has yet to release the final polling percentage, despite an earlier practice that these figures would be published within two days. While the number of votes cast specifically in Electronic Voting Machines has been recorded at 78.27%, the comprehensive data for the elections held on April 9 remains pending. The Chief Electoral Officer indicated that the final tally is currently with the Central Election Commission for verification and approval.

The total count must still account for several categories beyond the EVM data. Records show that 2,26,860 individuals participated through home voting, and a significant number of postal and service votes are yet to be finalised. Although 34,128 officials applied for postal ballots, only 28,990 votes had been recorded as of April 6. Furthermore, there is a lack of clarity regarding how many of the 1.46 lakh polling officials applied for and successfully cast their votes.

The Chief Electoral Officer stated that district election officers and returning officers are in the process of updating this information, which the Commission will eventually release via the official index card. Currently, the Election Commission's mobile application continues to display outdated figures, as state officials claim they are awaiting central clearance. While traditional practice involves publishing final statistics within two days of the initial EVM announcements, the public still awaits the completed procedures from the Central Election Commission to determine the exact number of voters and the total percentage.

“The Returning Officers and District Election Officers are responsible for collecting the postal vote and service vote data. This will take time. The Central Election Commission will release the updates only after receiving all the data from the state. This is just a normal procedure. There has been no delay.”

-Ratan U. Khelkar

Chief Electoral Officer