ON APPOINTMENT AS PRESIDING OFFICER AND POLLING OFFICERS

1. On receipt of call letter for election duty, the Presiding Officer should ensure his presence in the training classes on the dates fixed by DEO/RO. 

2. Read the following pamphlets & books very carefully. 

a. Handbook for Presiding Officer 2018;

 b. Manual of EVM and VVPAT;

 c. Letter of the Returning Officer to Presiding Officers giving important instructions.

 3. Become fully familiar with the operation of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). Hands on training is must. 

4. On receiving the appointment letter issued by the DEO after formation of polling party, getting familiar with the other members of the polling parties and maintenance of close relation with them. Ensure replacement for absent polling party member from reserve. 

5. Read carefully the different forms statutory and non-statutory as given in the Handbook for Presiding Officer 2018.

 6. Attend the training attentively. There should be no confusion about the functions, forms and envelops. If there is any doubt, get the clarification from the RO/ARO. 

7. Apply for postal ballot paper/EDC at appropriate time.

 8. Deposition of postal ballot in the "drop box" at facilitating centres at the time of training.

 9. Careful examination of the appointment order, check the name of assembly constituency, name and number of polling station and location of polling station. 

10. Finding names of polling officers for that polling station as member of polling party. If any officer is absent, to ensure appointment of another officer out of the reserve polling personnel. Coordinate with members of polling party for that polling station. Attending training session to ensure last minute EVM and VVPAT hands on skill. 

11. Contact the Zonal Magistrate for guidance and help in departing for polling station in designated vehicle through pre-decided route and check post. 2) POLLING PARTY TRAININGS 1. Presiding Officer should procure latest copy of 'Handbook for Presiding Officer' from RO/ DEO and read thoroughly.

 2) POLLING PARTY TRAINING 

i) Presiding Officer is the leader of the Polling party should ensure that all the members of the Polling party are fully trained, including hands on training on EVM and VVPAT. 

3) ON THE DAY BEFORE THE DAY OF POLL

 On the day of commuting of polling party, the presiding officer should ensure to collect the polling materials for use at the polling station. Refer Annexure 1 & Annexure 2 for list of polling materials required at Polling Station and check memo.

 1. Presiding Officer should ensure that

a. The Control Unit, Balloting Unit(s) and VVPAT given to polling party pertains to their polling station.

 b. The 'Candidate Set Section' of Control Unit is duly sealed and the address tag is firmly attached thereto.

 c. The battery in the Control Unit is fully operational. Remember to switch off the battery after checking the Control Unit. Polling party is instructed NOT TO TEST VVPAT at the time of dispersal and before Mock poll at Polling station under any circumstance.

 d. The Balloting unit(s) is duly sealed and address tags are firmly attached, both at the top and bottom right portion

 e. The appropriate ballot paper is duly fixed on each Balloting Unit and is properly aligned under the ballot paper screen. 

f. The slide switch/thumb wheel switch is set to the appropriate position in each Balloting Unit by Returning Officer. Inform Sector Magistrate/Returning Officer, if there is any discrepancy.

 g. Unmasked buttons on Balloting Unit(s) are equal to the number of candidates (including NOTA option).

 h. All the items of polling materials mentioned in Annexure 1 have been supplied in required quantity;

 i Check the serial numbers of paper seals; Check the electoral roll to ensure that The copies of the supplements are given; 

ii. The part number of the roll and the supplement is correctly given; 

iii. Page numbers in the working copies of the roll are given serially;

 iv. The printed serial numbers of voters are not corrected and no new numbers are substituted for them

 v. All deletions of names and corrections of clerical or other errors as per the supplements have been incorporated;

 k. Tendered ballot papers should be available for the same AC.

 l  Photo copies of specimen signatures of the contesting candidates and their election agents are also given to him. This will help in verifying genuineness of signature of the candidates/election agent in the appointment letter of the Polling Agent(s) at the polling station

. m. Check other important polling material like dummy card board EVM, stamp pad, green paper seal, strip seal, statutory forms, register of voters (Form 17A), Form 17C, Mock poll Slips stamp, plastic box, black envelopes etc. are given to him.

 n. Check the copy of the list of contesting candidates given. The names, photographs and symbols of the candidates given in the list must tally and should be in the same serial order in which they appear in the ballot paper on the balloting unit(s).

o. Voter Facilitation Posters are supplied for display on the outside wall, near the entrance of each polling station

. p. Check-up that the phial of indelible ink supplied contains sufficient quantity and that its cap is perfectly sealed. 

q. Check up the arrow cross mark rubber stamp and the brass (metal) seal. Ensure that the arrow cross mark rubber stamp has seals affixed on both the sides and that the stamp pad is not dry. If the polling station is proposed to be located in a temporary structure, obtain iron box of sufficient dimensions to store the election papers. Though the election is conducted through EVMS and VVPATS, this is required for tendered ballot papers.

 r. If he has any doubt about his movement program, he should get it cleared and make sure of the time, the route, the place of departure and mode of transport for reaching the polling station. 

2. Please note that: - 

a. Reach polling station on the day prescribed by RO and ensure that

 i. There is enough space for the voters to wait outside the polling station and for separate queues for male and female voters

; ii. There is separate waiting space for men and women as far as practicable; 

iii. There are separate passages for entry and exit of voters; separate entrance and exit can be provided with the help of bamboos and ropes in the middle of the doorway;

 iv. Anotice showing the polling area and details of voters is prominently displayed; 

v. The copy of the list of contesting candidates is prominently displayed.

 b. In case, women voters are large in numbers, woman assistants can be appointed by RO and the DEO should be informed. Receive and verify the availability of woman assistants and take their services to identify women voters. If any polling officer appointed for the PS is absent, a substitute officer should be appointed and the DEO should be informed accordingly.

 c. The Presiding Officer should decide the place where he, his Polling Officers and Polling Agents of the candidates will sit and the Control Unit of the voting machine will be placed.

 d. Remove any photograph of any leader belonging to any political party hung in the polling station or cover them fully. 

3. The EVM, VVPAT and the polling materials entrusted to the Presiding Officer should remain in his custody throughout, till the poll is completed and the EVM, VVPAT and the materials are handed back by him. Either he or one of the Polling Officers selected by him, should remain in the polling station as in-charge of the EVM, VVPAT and polling materials from the moment of their arrival. The EVM, VVPAT and polling materials should not be left in the custody of any Police Guard on duty at the polling station or any person other than the Presiding Officer or a Polling Officer selected by him.

4. If a Presiding Officer is appointed for a polling booth situated in a building having up to two polling booths, he will be provided an alphabetical list of electors of his part.

 5. List of absentee/missing voters, communication plan & vulnerable polling station/hamlets will also be provided to Presiding Officer. 

4) ON THE ARRIVAL AT THE POLLING STATION ON THE DAY OF POLL

                                                         

     

 1. On the arrival at the polling station, the Presiding Officer should take a round and know periphery of 200 meters and ensure safety of Polling Station within this periphery by checking of CPF/State Police Personnel/Home Guard. In case any polling officer is absent, ensure to appoint another officer in his/her place. There should be separate entrance and exit for voters. Even if there is only one door to the room, housing the polling station, a separate entrance and exit can be provided with the help of bamboos and ropes dividing the doorway.

 2. Make sure that that no High voltage incandescent bulbs/tube-light is placed over or in front of voting compartment, as VVPAT may go into error mode in excess light and also no window should be opened behind EVM and VVPAT.

 3. Before mock poll, Balloting Unit(s) and VVPAT should be kept on the table in the voting compartment. The voting compartment should be located at sufficient distance from the table where the Control Unit and VSDU (present in M2 VVPAT) are kept

. 4. The cable connecting the Balloting Unit, VVPAT and Control Unit has a reasonable length so that its routing does not obstruct the movement of voter inside the polling station.

 5. The connecting cable should come out from the back of voting compartment through an aperture cut out at the bottom of the voting compartment. However, the size of this aperture in the voting compartment should be restricted to ensure the secrecy of voting. 

6. While placing the Balloting Unit(s) and VVPAT in voting compartment, it should be ensured that no one can disturb the interconnecting cable, also the cable should be fully visible. To ensure secrecy of voting, the voting compartment should not be near the window or door of the polling station.

 7. Polling officers and agents should be seated in such a way that the Balloting Unit, VVPAT and the voter actually recording his vote by pressing particular button on BU, is not be visible to them at all.

 8. The waiting area should be spacious enough to accommodate the voters outside the polling station.

 9. There should be separate waiting areas for men and women as far as practicable.

 10. Polling Agents should be seated in such a way that they can see the face of the elector as and when he/she enters the polling station, and the identification of the elector can be done by the first polling officer and also they can challenge the identity of the elector. They should also be able to see the entire operation at the Presiding Officer's table or table of third polling officer where the Control Unit is kept and also see the movement of elector from entry to exit. 

11. If there are sufficiently large numbers of women electors in a polling station, there should be special arrangements for their identification and application of indelible ink in a separate enclosure having due regards to privacy, dignity and decency. For ensuring this, Presiding Officer can appoint locally available women to help their identification.

 12.If more than one polling stations is located in the same building, then the Presiding Officer should satisfy himself that necessary arrangements have been made for segregating the voters and making them wait in different parts of the space in front of each polling station owithout any confusion. lo niupo ognthl Presiding Officer must know that polling station and the area around it and take under his control area up to a radius of 200 meters. 

13. Ensure the removal of campaign posters of polítical parties and candidates. 

14. No photos of leaders, symbols of any political parties or slogans having a bearing on elections should be exhibited, if already there, they should immediately be removed till the poll is over. 

15. No cooking or lighting of fire for any purpose should be allowed inside the polling station. 

16. A notice specifying the polling area and particulars of electors to be served by polling station and a copy of list of the contesting candidates in Form 7A, should be displayed outside each polling station prominently. Voter Facilitation Posters should be displayed on the outside wall, near the entrance of each polling station. 

17. The seating order, at the polling station, for the polling agents of candidates should be guided by the following categories of priorities, namely:

 a. Candidates of recognized National Parties.

 b. Candidates of recognized State Parties. 

C. Candidates of recognized State Parties of other States who have been permitted to use their reserved symbols in the constituency. 

d. Candidates of registered unrecognized parties. e. Independent candidates.

 18. Presiding Officer should not allowany representative of political parties to sitin the periphery of 200 meters of the polling stations for,helping the voters. Presiding Officer should get all ra the tents and chairs removed in that boundary. 

19. No arms should be carried inside the Polling Stations. 

20. Presiding Officer along with his members of polling party should ensure that they reach the polling station at least 75 minutes before the polling starts.

 21. Check the appointment letters of polling agents and explain them the provisions of section 128 of the R.P. Act, 1951. Assign them seats and issue them entry passes for their movements

. 22. Ensure that Polling Agents appointed at the polling station are enrolled in the voter list of that polling station or of the neighbouring polling station and have EPIC. Follow the ECI instructions regarding appointment of Polling Agents

. 23. Ensure that no one smokes inside the polling station.