(1) subject to such general or special directions, if any, as may be given by the State Election Commission in this behalf the ballot papers taken out of all boxes used in a ward shall be mixed together and then arranged in convenient bundles and scrutinized.
(2) The Returning officer shall reject a ballot paper, if,-
(i) it bears any mark or writing by which the elector can be identified;
(ii) it bears no mark at all or to indicate the vote it bears a mark elsewhere than on or near the symbol of the candidate on the face of the ballot paper or if it bears a mark made otherwise than with the instrument supplied for the purpose;
(iii) votes are given on it in favour of more candidates than the candidates to be elected;
(iv) the mark indicating a vote thereon is placed in such manner as to make it doubtful to which candidate vote has been given;
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(v) it is a spurious ballot paper;
(vi) it is so damaged or mutilated that its identity as a genuine ballot paper cannot be established;
(vii) it bears a serial number or is of a design different from the serial numbers or as the case may be design of the ballot papers authorized for use at the particular polling station; or
(viii) it does not bear both the mark and the signature which it should have borne under the provisions of the sub-rule (1) of rule 57.
Provided that, where the Returning officer is satisfied that any such defect as is mentioned in clause (vii) or clause (viii) has been caused by any mistake or failure on the part of presiding officer or polling officer, the ballot paper shall not be rejected merely on the ground of such defect.
Provided further that, a ballot paper shall not be rejected merely on the ground that the mark indicating the vote is indistinct or made more than once, if the intention that the vote shall be for a particular candidate clearly appears from the way the paper is marked.
(3) Before rejecting any ballot paper under sub-rule (2) the Returning officer shall allow each counting agent present, a reasonable opportunity to inspect the ballot paper but shall not allow them to handle it or any other ballot paper.
(4) The Returning officer shall endorse on every ballot paper which they reject the word “rejected” and the grounds of rejection in abbreviated from either in their own hand or by means of a rubber stamp and shall initial such endorsement.
(5) All ballot papers rejected under this rule shall be bundled together.
(6) Every ballot paper which is not rejected under this rule shall be counted:
Provided that, no cover containing tendered ballot paper shall be opened and no such ballot paper shall be counted.
(7) After the counting of all ballot papers contained in all the ballot boxes used in a ward has been completed, the Returning officer shall make the entries in a result sheet in Form-23 and announce the particulars.