Ahmedabad: On April 26, 3 lakh voters will cast their votes to elect councillors. Voting was earlier scheduled for 192 seats across 48 wards in the city, but two seats reserved for women in Vasna and Thaltej witnessed walkovers, leaving 190 seats. In the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) polls, voters cast four votes using EVMs, while those deputed on election duties or other govt work cast their votes through postal ballots. Records show that in the 2021 AMC election, 882 postal ballot votes were recorded as invalid across 19 of the 48 wards. The Saijpur Bogha ward recorded the highest number of invalid postal ballot votes at 267.Indrapuri ward had 50 invalid postal ballots, Odhav had two, Ramol ward had 37, India Colony ward had three, Danilimda had 69, Vastral had 67, Isanpur had 38, Maninagar ward had 32, and Nikol ward had one invalid vote. In the western region, Vejalpur ward had 25 invalid ballots, Ranip ward had 92, Sarkhej ward had 15, Sabarmati ward had 63, Chandkheda ward had 105, Nava Vadaj ward had one, Sardar Patel Stadium ward had one, Naranpura had five, and Jodhpur ward recorded nine invalid votes.Sources from the Ahmedabad district collector’s office said: “In the AMC election, each voter casts four votes. In EVMs, voters press the registration button after casting four votes, but they can also press it after casting one, two, or three votes. Ballots through EVMs cannot be termed invalid. In case of postal ballots, any mark or writing on the paper counts the vote as invalid. It is declared invalid even if the stamp is not on the designated spot.” In 2021, 5 voters surrendered their votesAhmedabad: In the 2021 elections, five voters surrendered their votes. Two votes were surrendered in the Gomtipur ward, and one each was surrendered in Saijpur Bogha, Sarkhej and India Colony. In civic polls, if a voter comes to the polling station, registers, but decides not to cast their vote before voting, it is counted as a surrendered vote.
