(!) Voting shall be in person.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule
(1), any elector of a ward who is, by reason of his being on duty at a polling station or for other reasons of exigencies of public service, unable to be present and to vote at the polling station where he is entitled to vote, may apply by an application to the Returning Officer at least seven days before the .date of the first of the dates fixed for the poll at that ward for permission to vote at the election hy postal ballot.
(3) Every such application shall specify the name of the elector, his address and his serial number in the elec toral roll for that ward.
( 4) If the Retorning Officer is satisfied that the claim is just and that the applicant is entitled to vote, in the ward, he shall allow the application and permit the applicant to cast his vote at the election by postal ballot and thereupon the applicant may give his vote at such election by_ postal ballot and shall not be entitled to give his vote thereat in any other manner.
(5) Each elector shall have one vote only irrespec tive of the number of candidates.
THE GAZE1TE OF INDIA: EXTRAORDINARY [PART II-SEC. 4] {6) (a) The Returning Officer shall in the ca'e of every elector who has been permitted under sub-rule (2) to give l~1.s vote at the election by postal ballot, send by r~gt:-;lcred po:-.tto each such elector a ballot paper in Form VJII lol~cthcx with -- (!) a hlank declaration fonnin l'orm VIll-A;
(ii) an envelope with the ;mmber of ballot pa per entered on its face in fom1 VIII-B by the Returning Officer;
(iii) a large cover addressed to the Rcturrnng Oflicer in Form VIII-C; and
(rv) a letter m Form VIII-D.
(b) The ballot paper together with the declaration, envelope cover and letter shall be sent to the elector at the i.lddrcs!' given in the application made by him referred to in suh-rulc (3).
(c) J\n elector who receives a postal hallot paper sent under clause (a) and desires to vote, shall record his vote Olil the hal lot paper and sign the declaration in Form VIII-A and alsu ohtain the attestation of his signature by any oft"Jccr authorised in this behalf by the President, or any M<ig1strate to whom the elector is _personally known or to whose satisfaction the elector ha,<;. been identified, in accordnnce with the instructions contained in the ktter .c.,cnl with the ballot paper.
(d:1 The e.] ector shall place the ballot paper in the envelope in hmn Vlll-B, close the envelope and enclose it w1th lhe dec!ar.ttton in Fom1 VIII-A in the cover (Form VIII C) and send the cover to the Returning Officer in accor dance Vvl!h th~ instructions contained in the letter so as to rcacl1 him he fore 5 P.M. on the date fixed for the poll.
(t.) Any cover which is not received by the Return mg Officer he fore 5 P.M. on the date fixed for the po11 shall he Jejec:e.d.
(f) ;\II such rejected covers shall he kept in a sepa ' I <'LlC .~calcd [-'<h::kct hy the Returning o-liccr.
(g) Tille R~tuming Officer shall keep in safe custudy untilthi." c:cmmenccment of the counLng of votes all cov er:-. contanung postal ballot papers received by him under th1:: sul:D-rulc.
(h) 1\Ju election ,-,hall be invalidated merely by· rca~tm ,Jt an elector rwt having received his ballot paper:
PJ uv1ded that J ballot paper has been issued to him in accqtdatJCe with the provisions of this rule.
Cl) The Returning Officer shall at the time uf for wcud:ng liJl·- puc;ta1 ballot paper also rc.~cord under his sig :Ll.lurc, the tact of issue of the ballot paper against the :2ntry rolatJng tu that elector in the copy of the clcct,Jra[ roll ·elatmg lCJ tli::n part of the CantomnL,nt which shall be used ·,1t the rime r,f poll for voting by electors in per.son.
(8) /\Jtc; the ballot papers have been issued to all elector-; cntlllcd ro vote hy post, the Returning Officer shall t~tKlo_c.,e and seal the marked copy of the electoral roll rT'i<ltmg to each polling statJon in special covers and shal1 hand over personally the covers containing the marked copy of the electoral roll to the Polling Officer concerned on the day of the poll.