(1) The District Electoral Officer shall appoint a Presiding Officer for each polling station and such polling officer or polling officers, as he thinks necessary, but he shall not appoint any person who has been employed by or on behalf of, or has been otherwise working for, a candidate in or about the election:
Returning Officer to include Assistant returning Officers.
General duty of the Returning Officer.
Provision for polling stations for constituencies.
Appointment of Presiding Officer for polling stations.
Provided that if a Polling Officer is absent from the polling station, the Presiding Officer may appoint any person who is present at the polling station other than a person who has been employed by or on behalf of, or has been otherwise working for a candidate in or about the election, to be the Polling Officer during the absence of the former officer, and inform the District Electoral Officer accordingly:
Provided further that nothing in this sub-section shall prevent the District Electoral Officer from appointing the same person to be the Presiding Officer for more than one polling station in the same premises.
(2) A Polling Officer shall, if so directed by the Presiding Officer, perform all or any of the functions of a Presiding Officer under this Act or the rules or orders made thereunder.
(3) If the Presiding Officer, owing to illness or other unavoidable cause, absents himself from the polling station, his functions shall be performed by such Polling Officer, as has been authorised by the District Electoral Officer to perform such functions during such absence.
(4) Reference in this Act to the Presiding Officer shall, unless the context otherwise requires, be deemed to include any person performing any function which he is authorised to perform under sub-section (2) or sub-section (3), as the case may be.
21. It shall be the general duty of the Presiding Officer at a polling station to keep order there at and to see that the poll is fairly taken.
22. It shall be the duty of the Polling Officer at the polling station to assist the Presiding Officer for such station in the performance of his functions.
23. District Electoral Officer, Electoral Registration Officer, Returning Officer, Assistant Returning Officer, Presiding Officer, Polling Officer and any other officer, appointed under this Chapter, and any Police Officer designated as such for the time being by the State Government, for the conduct of any election shall be deemed to be on deputation to the Election Commission for the period commencing on and from the date of the notification calling for such election and Duties of Presiding Officer.
Duties of Polling Officer.
District Electoral Officer, Electoral Registration Officer, Returning Officer, Assistant Returning Officer, Presiding Officer and Polling Officer deemed to be on deputation to the Election Commission.
ending with the date of declaration of the results of such election and accordingly, such officer shall, during that period, be subject to the control, superintendence and discipline of the Election Commission.
CHAPTER VI ELECTORAL ROLLS FOR CONSTITUENCIES
24. For every Panchayat and Municipality there shall be an electoral roll which shall be prepared in accordance with the provisions of this Act, under the superintendence, direction and control of the Election Commission.
25. A person shall be disqualified for registration in an electoral roll, if he-
(a) is not a citizen of India; or
(b) is of unsound mind, and stand so declared by a competent court; or
(c) is for the time being disqualified from voting under the provisions of any law relating to corrupt practices and other offences in connection with elections; or
(d) has been convicted of an offence punishable under, -
(i) the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955; or
(ii) the Unlawful Offences (Prevention) Act, 1967; or
(iii) the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1962; or
(iv) the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, 1987;
or
(v) the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988; or
(vi) any law providing for the prevention of profiteering and hoarding; or
(vii) any law relating to the adulteration of food or drugs.
26. No person shall be entitled to be registered in the electoral roll for more than one constituency.
27. No person shall be entitled to be registered in the electoral roll for any constituency more than once.
Electoral Rolls for every constituency.
Disqualification for registration in an electoral roll.
No person to be registered in more than one constituency.
No person to be registered more than once in any constituency.
28. Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Chapter, every person who-
(a) is not less than eighteen years of age on the qualifying date; and
(b) is ordinarily resident in a constituency; shall be entitled to be registered in the electoral roll for that constituency.