How EC decides poll schedule and why it changed Mizoram’s counting date

Subject :Polity

Section: Elections

Context: How EC decides poll schedule and why it changed Mizoram’s counting date

What does the Election Commission take into account while deciding the schedule for elections:

The election schedule, issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), encompasses the period from the gazette notification issuance to the conclusion of the election process. The critical dates for ordinary voters are the polling date(s) and counting date.
The ECI has the flexibility to announce elections within six months after the Lok Sabha or state Assembly term concludes, as outlined in Sections 14 and 15 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The election process must be completed before the existing term expires.
In determining the election schedule, the ECI considers factors such as the availability and movement requirements of security forces, logistics for electronic voting machines (EVMs) and poll officials, significant national and local festivals, and the prevailing law and order situation.
When multiple state Assemblies face term expiration simultaneously, the ECI aims to conduct elections concurrently. Although polling may occur on different days, the vote counting typically takes place on the same day.

What happened in this current round of Assembly elections

After extensive oversight by Election Commission of India (ECI) officials and the Election Commissioners themselves, the election schedule for five states was announced on October 9.
Mizoram and approximately half the seats in Chhattisgarh were set for voting on November 7, while Telangana was scheduled last on November 30. Counting for all states was initially planned for December 3.
While the ECI ensured that Mizoram’s voting was not scheduled on a Sunday, considering a significant number of electors attend church on that day, counting for all states, including Mizoram, was initially slated for a Sunday. Following multiple representations advocating against counting on a Sunday, the ECI decided on December 1 to postpone the counting in Mizoram by a day to December 4.

Have counting dates for elections been shifted earlier:

Yes, changes in election dates have occurred in previous elections as well, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) providing various reasons for such adjustments.
In the case of Mizoram, during the 2013 Assembly elections, the ECI initially declared that the counting of votes would take place on December 8, a Sunday. However, the date was later revised to December 9, a Monday.
Similarly, in the current round of elections, the polling date for Rajasthan was initially set for November 23. However, just two days after the announcement, the ECI modified the date to November 25.
The decision was influenced by concerns raised by political parties and social organizations, highlighting the large-scale weddings and social engagements scheduled for the initially proposed date, which could inconvenience a significant number of people.