Voting procedure in polling station and duties of Polling Officers
1. For efficient and smooth conduct of poll at your polling station, you should be thoroughly conversant with the procedure that is to be followed from the time an elector comes into the polling station and till he leaves it after casting his vote. Such voting procedure and the duties which each Polling Officer has to perform in this whole operation are explained below:
(a) --------Duties of Polling Officers at single election to the House of the People/Legislative Assembly ------------when polling party consists of one Presiding Officer and three Polling Officers.
First Polling Officer
2.1 On entering the polling station the elector will proceed direct to the First Polling Officer who will be in-charge of the marked copy of the electoral roll and responsible for identification of the electors. usually each voter comes in with an unofficial identity slip which he has received from a candidate. The slip should be on plain white paper and may contain the name of the elector, his serial number in the electoral roll, the number of the electoral roll part and the number and name of the polling station where he is to cast his vote. The slip should not contain the name of the candidate and/or the name of his party and/or facsimile of symbol allotted to him. If the voter does not have any such identity slip, the Polling Officer will himself ascertain his name, house number etc., and will then locate his name from the electoral roll kept by him. The elector should not be compelled to bring an identity slip, nor should he be turned away solely because he has not brought such a slip. The Polling Officer should not treat the identity slip brought by an elector as a conducive proof of his identity. The procedure in this regard has been explained in Chapter XII.
2.2 In case no identity slip is brought by the elector, the first polling officer will himself locate the name of the elector in the electoral roll and after checking it with the particulars in the relevant entry in the roll, will call out loudly the page number, the part number, the serial number and the name of the elector to the hearing of the polling agents and the second polling officer.
2.3 In case an elector brings an identity slip, his identity is to be established under the procedure as explained in Chapter XII. Thereafter the identity slip brought by the elector should be torn into pieces and put in the Waste Paper Basket supplied.
2.4 Such torn slips should not be thrown on the floor. If there is no challenge as regards the identity of the voter, the Polling Officer will underline in every case the entry relating to the elector in the marked copy of the electoral roll with him and where the elector is a female, put a (ü) mark also on the left hand side of the name of the female elector. Such tick marking will not be necessary at a polling station set-up exclusively for women.
N.B- At the end of the day’s polling he should count the number of men and women voters who have voted and record the result in the Presiding Officer’s diary. One easy method of doing this would be to write down all the serial numbers from 1 to 200 or 300 on two separate sheets of paper before the commencement of the poll. One such sheet may be used for recording the number of men voters and the other for women voters. The serial number on the relevant number sheet should be struck off in consecutive order, according to the sex of the voters as and when they come to vote. This will also help in ascertaining instantly the total number of men and women voters who have voted up to a particular hour.
2.5 The voter will then move to the Second Polling Officer. Second Polling Officer
3.1 The Second Polling Officer will be in-charge of indelible ink and the bundles of ballot papers. As the First Polling Officer reads aloud the part number and serial number of the elector, the Second Polling Officer will record on the counterfoil of the ballot paper the electoral roll part number and the serial number of the elector, as entered in the marked copy of the electoral roll.
3.2 He will then inspect the voter’s left forefinger to see that it does not bear any sign or trace of indelible ink and then put a mark with the indelible ink above the root of the nail in such a way that the ink also spreads on the ridge between the skin and the root of the nail and a clear mark is left on the forefinger. Note that the voter need not be touched at the time of applying the indelible ink on his left forefinger. While applying excess ink should not be taken with the whole length of the rod. Only the tip of the rod should be dipped in the ink. This will avoid excess in-take of the ink. The glass (plastic) rod after dipping in the ink should be gently pressed on the finger and rotated so that a clear mark is left on the finger. It must be ensured that the voter’s forefinger is perfectly in the horizontal position at the time of the application of the ink and for at least thirty-seconds immediately after the application of the ink so that the solvent gets evaporated. If the rod is only lightly touched or rubbed against the voter’s finger it will merely leave a smudge which is not sufficient. In case it is noticed that an elector has applied any oily or greasy substance on his finger in order to neutralise the indelible ink mark to be put on his finger, such oily or greasy substance should be removed by the polling officer with the help of the piece of cloth or rage supplied, before putting indelible ink mark on the finger of the elector. The voter should not be allowed to rub off the mark for at least half a minute after it has been applied on the finger. If an elector has no left forefinger, then indelible ink should be applied on any such finger which he has on his left hand. If he does not have any finger on his left hand the ink should be applied on his right forefinger and if he has no right forefinger, on any other finger which he has on his right hand starting with his right forefinger. If he has no finger on either hand, ink should be applied on such extremity (stump) of his left or right hand as he possesses.
3.3 The Polling Officer will then obtain the signature/thumb impression of the voter on the counterfoil of ballot paper. For the purpose of obtaining the thumb impression the stamp pad of purple color supplied to your polling station should be used and for obtaining signature the copying pencil/ball-point pen should be used. For the use of voters whose thumb impression has been taken on the counterfoil of the ballot paper, a wet piece of cloth may be kept on the table of this Polling Officer for removing the ink. The ballot paper will then be detached from the counterfoil with the help of a flat metal rule having a sharp edge on the lengthwise side. It will thereafter be delivered to the voter and he will be directed to the Third Polling Officer sitting near the voting compartment. No ballot paper should be delivered to an elector unless he has put his signature or thumb impression on the counterfoil of the ballot paper. It is not necessary to have the thumb impression of the elector on the counterfoil attested by the Presiding Officer or a Polling Officer or by any other officer.
3.4 At the time of fresh poll/countermanded poll/repoll, the marking with indelible ink made at the original poll should be ignored and fresh marking with indelible ink should be put at the root of the nail of the voter’s left middle finger in such a way that a portion of the ink also spreads on the ridge between the skin and the root of the nail and a clear mark is left.
Third Polling Officer
4.1 The Third Polling Officer will be in-charge of the arrow cross mark rubber stamps for marking the ballot paper. He will take the ballot paper from the elector and fold it twice, first vertically and then horizontally, in such a way that the distinguishing mark is clearly visible at the top right hand corner on the back of the ballot paper. He will then unfold the ballot paper and hand it over to the elector. He will also give to the voter an inked rubber stamp and if specifically requested by the voter, instruct him by making a mark with it on a piece of plain paper. The voter will then be asked to proceed to a voting compartment. After recording his vote, the elector will refold, the ballot paper along the lines on which it was folded before it was issued to him, come out of the voting compartment and insert the ballot paper into the ballot box kept in front of the Polling Officer.
4.2 Before the voter leaves the polling station, the Polling Officer will examine the left forefinger of the elector and satisfy that the indelible ink mark is clearly impressed on the skin. If the voter has removed the mark or the mark is not clear, the voter should be marked again in such a way that the marking is clear and is not immediately removed.
(b) -------Duties of Polling Officer at single election to the House of the People/Legislative Assembly when ------------polling party consists of one Presiding Officer and four Polling Officers.
5. There is no change in the duties of the first Polling Officer. The second Polling Officer will be in-charge of the indelible ink only and the bundles of ballot papers will be handled by the third Polling Officer. The fourth Polling Officer will be in-charge of the Arrow Cross Mark Rubber Stamp.
(c) -------Duties of Polling Officers at simultaneous elections to the House of the People and Legislative -----------Assembly when a party consists of one Presiding Officer and five Polling Officers.
6. There is no change in the duties of the first polling officer. The second polling officer will be in-charge of indelible ink. The third polling officer will be in-charge of the bundles of assembly ballot papers. The fourth polling officer will be in-charge of the bundles of parliamentary ballot papers and the marked copy of the electoral roll for parliamentary election. In addition to the duties of issuing the parliamentary ballot papers, he will also perform the duties of underlining the entry relating to the elector and putting a tick (ü) mark on left hand side of the name of the female elector performed by the first polling officer. The fifth polling officer will be in-charge of the Arrow Cross Mark Rubber Stamps. He will take both ballot papers. He will first fold the assembly ballot paper and according to the procedure already explained allow the voter to vote. After the voter has proceeded to the voting compartment and while he is recording his vote, he will fold the parliamentary ballot paper and hand over to the voter to enable him to proceed to another voting compartment to record his vote on the parliamentary ballot paper. Both the ballot papers will be dropped into the same ballot box.
1. For efficient and smooth conduct of poll at your polling station, you should be thoroughly conversant with the procedure that is to be followed from the time an elector comes into the polling station and till he leaves it after casting his vote. Such voting procedure and the duties which each Polling Officer has to perform in this whole operation are explained below:
(a) --------Duties of Polling Officers at single election to the House of the People/Legislative Assembly ------------when polling party consists of one Presiding Officer and three Polling Officers.
First Polling Officer
2.1 On entering the polling station the elector will proceed direct to the First Polling Officer who will be in-charge of the marked copy of the electoral roll and responsible for identification of the electors. usually each voter comes in with an unofficial identity slip which he has received from a candidate. The slip should be on plain white paper and may contain the name of the elector, his serial number in the electoral roll, the number of the electoral roll part and the number and name of the polling station where he is to cast his vote. The slip should not contain the name of the candidate and/or the name of his party and/or facsimile of symbol allotted to him. If the voter does not have any such identity slip, the Polling Officer will himself ascertain his name, house number etc., and will then locate his name from the electoral roll kept by him. The elector should not be compelled to bring an identity slip, nor should he be turned away solely because he has not brought such a slip. The Polling Officer should not treat the identity slip brought by an elector as a conducive proof of his identity. The procedure in this regard has been explained in Chapter XII.
2.2 In case no identity slip is brought by the elector, the first polling officer will himself locate the name of the elector in the electoral roll and after checking it with the particulars in the relevant entry in the roll, will call out loudly the page number, the part number, the serial number and the name of the elector to the hearing of the polling agents and the second polling officer.
2.3 In case an elector brings an identity slip, his identity is to be established under the procedure as explained in Chapter XII. Thereafter the identity slip brought by the elector should be torn into pieces and put in the Waste Paper Basket supplied.
2.4 Such torn slips should not be thrown on the floor. If there is no challenge as regards the identity of the voter, the Polling Officer will underline in every case the entry relating to the elector in the marked copy of the electoral roll with him and where the elector is a female, put a (ü) mark also on the left hand side of the name of the female elector. Such tick marking will not be necessary at a polling station set-up exclusively for women.
N.B- At the end of the day’s polling he should count the number of men and women voters who have voted and record the result in the Presiding Officer’s diary. One easy method of doing this would be to write down all the serial numbers from 1 to 200 or 300 on two separate sheets of paper before the commencement of the poll. One such sheet may be used for recording the number of men voters and the other for women voters. The serial number on the relevant number sheet should be struck off in consecutive order, according to the sex of the voters as and when they come to vote. This will also help in ascertaining instantly the total number of men and women voters who have voted up to a particular hour.
2.5 The voter will then move to the Second Polling Officer. Second Polling Officer
3.1 The Second Polling Officer will be in-charge of indelible ink and the bundles of ballot papers. As the First Polling Officer reads aloud the part number and serial number of the elector, the Second Polling Officer will record on the counterfoil of the ballot paper the electoral roll part number and the serial number of the elector, as entered in the marked copy of the electoral roll.
3.2 He will then inspect the voter’s left forefinger to see that it does not bear any sign or trace of indelible ink and then put a mark with the indelible ink above the root of the nail in such a way that the ink also spreads on the ridge between the skin and the root of the nail and a clear mark is left on the forefinger. Note that the voter need not be touched at the time of applying the indelible ink on his left forefinger. While applying excess ink should not be taken with the whole length of the rod. Only the tip of the rod should be dipped in the ink. This will avoid excess in-take of the ink. The glass (plastic) rod after dipping in the ink should be gently pressed on the finger and rotated so that a clear mark is left on the finger. It must be ensured that the voter’s forefinger is perfectly in the horizontal position at the time of the application of the ink and for at least thirty-seconds immediately after the application of the ink so that the solvent gets evaporated. If the rod is only lightly touched or rubbed against the voter’s finger it will merely leave a smudge which is not sufficient. In case it is noticed that an elector has applied any oily or greasy substance on his finger in order to neutralise the indelible ink mark to be put on his finger, such oily or greasy substance should be removed by the polling officer with the help of the piece of cloth or rage supplied, before putting indelible ink mark on the finger of the elector. The voter should not be allowed to rub off the mark for at least half a minute after it has been applied on the finger. If an elector has no left forefinger, then indelible ink should be applied on any such finger which he has on his left hand. If he does not have any finger on his left hand the ink should be applied on his right forefinger and if he has no right forefinger, on any other finger which he has on his right hand starting with his right forefinger. If he has no finger on either hand, ink should be applied on such extremity (stump) of his left or right hand as he possesses.
3.3 The Polling Officer will then obtain the signature/thumb impression of the voter on the counterfoil of ballot paper. For the purpose of obtaining the thumb impression the stamp pad of purple color supplied to your polling station should be used and for obtaining signature the copying pencil/ball-point pen should be used. For the use of voters whose thumb impression has been taken on the counterfoil of the ballot paper, a wet piece of cloth may be kept on the table of this Polling Officer for removing the ink. The ballot paper will then be detached from the counterfoil with the help of a flat metal rule having a sharp edge on the lengthwise side. It will thereafter be delivered to the voter and he will be directed to the Third Polling Officer sitting near the voting compartment. No ballot paper should be delivered to an elector unless he has put his signature or thumb impression on the counterfoil of the ballot paper. It is not necessary to have the thumb impression of the elector on the counterfoil attested by the Presiding Officer or a Polling Officer or by any other officer.
3.4 At the time of fresh poll/countermanded poll/repoll, the marking with indelible ink made at the original poll should be ignored and fresh marking with indelible ink should be put at the root of the nail of the voter’s left middle finger in such a way that a portion of the ink also spreads on the ridge between the skin and the root of the nail and a clear mark is left.
Third Polling Officer
4.1 The Third Polling Officer will be in-charge of the arrow cross mark rubber stamps for marking the ballot paper. He will take the ballot paper from the elector and fold it twice, first vertically and then horizontally, in such a way that the distinguishing mark is clearly visible at the top right hand corner on the back of the ballot paper. He will then unfold the ballot paper and hand it over to the elector. He will also give to the voter an inked rubber stamp and if specifically requested by the voter, instruct him by making a mark with it on a piece of plain paper. The voter will then be asked to proceed to a voting compartment. After recording his vote, the elector will refold, the ballot paper along the lines on which it was folded before it was issued to him, come out of the voting compartment and insert the ballot paper into the ballot box kept in front of the Polling Officer.
4.2 Before the voter leaves the polling station, the Polling Officer will examine the left forefinger of the elector and satisfy that the indelible ink mark is clearly impressed on the skin. If the voter has removed the mark or the mark is not clear, the voter should be marked again in such a way that the marking is clear and is not immediately removed.
(b) -------Duties of Polling Officer at single election to the House of the People/Legislative Assembly when ------------polling party consists of one Presiding Officer and four Polling Officers.
5. There is no change in the duties of the first Polling Officer. The second Polling Officer will be in-charge of the indelible ink only and the bundles of ballot papers will be handled by the third Polling Officer. The fourth Polling Officer will be in-charge of the Arrow Cross Mark Rubber Stamp.
(c) -------Duties of Polling Officers at simultaneous elections to the House of the People and Legislative -----------Assembly when a party consists of one Presiding Officer and five Polling Officers.
6. There is no change in the duties of the first polling officer. The second polling officer will be in-charge of indelible ink. The third polling officer will be in-charge of the bundles of assembly ballot papers. The fourth polling officer will be in-charge of the bundles of parliamentary ballot papers and the marked copy of the electoral roll for parliamentary election. In addition to the duties of issuing the parliamentary ballot papers, he will also perform the duties of underlining the entry relating to the elector and putting a tick (ü) mark on left hand side of the name of the female elector performed by the first polling officer. The fifth polling officer will be in-charge of the Arrow Cross Mark Rubber Stamps. He will take both ballot papers. He will first fold the assembly ballot paper and according to the procedure already explained allow the voter to vote. After the voter has proceeded to the voting compartment and while he is recording his vote, he will fold the parliamentary ballot paper and hand over to the voter to enable him to proceed to another voting compartment to record his vote on the parliamentary ballot paper. Both the ballot papers will be dropped into the same ballot box.
