Thiruvananthapuram: The results of the local body elections in Kerala will be out on Wednesday. The counting of votes will begin at 8am at the 244 counting centres across the state.

Counting halls

• Separate halls are allotted for returning officers overseeing counting of votes cast for the block panchayat and those in charge of vote count for each gram panchayat falling within a block.

• Returning officers in charge of municipalities and corporations too will be allotted separate counting halls.

• Two polling assistants will be present at one table with the returning officer. Candidates and the election agents will be at the nearby table. An additional counting agent has been permitted for gram panchayat, municipality, and corporation candidates. Block and district panchayat candidates can assign one counting agent for each gram panchayat.

• District-wise counting centres: Thiruvananthapuram - 16, Kollam - 16, Pathanamthitta - 12, Alappuzha - 18, Kottayam - 17, Idukki - 10, Ernakulam -28, Thrissur - 24, Palakkad - 20, Malappuram - 27, Kozhikode - 20, Wayanad - 7, Kannur - 20, and Kasaragod - 9.

Postal votes first

• Postal votes will be counted first. However, postal votes unaccompanied by affidavit, without the voting mark or lacking clarity will not be counted.

• Votes entered in electronic voting machines will be taken up for count even if the counting of the postal votes has not been completed. Only the control units of the voting machines would be brought to the counting centres from the strong rooms.

• The returning officer has to check if the seal is intact on the control units before handing these over to the respective table for counting.

Counting tables

• A maximum of eight polling stations will be allotted for one counting table. One counting supervisor and a counting assistant each will be assigned to a table. For three-tier panchayats two counting assistants are available.

• The counting will begin from the first ward. If there are more than one booth in a ward, these will be counted at the same table.

The result button

• The counting supervisor will switch on the control unit and its display panel will be lit green.

• The paper seal on the result button would be torn off.

• When the result button is pressed, the number of votes received by each candidate would be displayed.

• The results of the gram, block and district panchayats would be out in a phased manner marked 'Post 1, Post 2, and Post 3'. For each of the municipalities and corporations only one result would be displayed as every voter cast had to cast only one vote for the ward representative or councillor.

• Counting assistants will record the result on the tabulation form.

Certificate for the winner

• Counting agents and candidates will also be able to view the results displayed on each control unit then itself. The returning officer will add the postal votes to this result and announce the winner. The winning candidate will be given the certificate there itself. Updates on the counting will be available on the Trend website. Trend units have also been set up at each counting centre for updating the lead figures of each ward in real-time.

• After the counting of a particular ward has been completed, the respective candidate and the agent have to exit the hall

• The local body results will also be available on the 'PRD Live' app.

Oath-taking on Dec 21

• State Election Commissioner V Bhaskaran said that the elected members will take oath on December 21.

COVID-19 protocol

• All counting centres would be disinfected on Tuesday.

• Counting officers will wear gloves, masks and face shields. Candidates and counting agents at the hall should also wear masks and use sanitiser.