EVM — Checklists, Flowcharts and the Official Check Memo
Rajasthan ULB General Election 2026 · Poll 09 and 11 September 2026
This file is now built on the Commission's own checklists. परिशिष्ट-15 (Check Memo) and परिशिष्ट-14 (outline of tasks) — both from the Margdarsika 2026 — are the spine of this module. The checklist previously compiled here is retained from §3 onward as supporting detail.
Actual form images: Forms, Formats and Figures — the training image library · machine figures: figures/MPSV/ Citation tags: SOURCES · what is unavailable: GAPS
🚨 The Margdarsika's own warning — read it aloud in every session [MG Annex-14(1)1]: "Never rely on your memory and past experience, because it can deceive you. The instructions keep changing from time to time."
🔗 Every citation tag is clickable in CITATIONS — it opens the source PDF at the exact page.
§1 — The official Check Memo (परिशिष्ट-15)
Source: [MG Annex-15, printed p 123] — (see Part 3, para 1-1(xxix)) Image of the original: Annex-15 — laminate and carry it
| # | Task to be done | Check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Obtain and safeguard the instructions from the DEO or the Returning Officer | Received and kept? |
| 2 | Get acquainted with the other members of the polling party and stay in close contact | Done? |
| 3 | Collect the election material | Satisfied that all kinds of material in sufficient quantity have been received? |
| 4 | Check the CU and BU, marked copies of the electoral roll, arrow-cross mark rubber seal, distinguishing-mark seal, voter register, voter slips, paper seals etc. | Checked thoroughly? |
| 5 | Separate arrangements for entry and exit at the polling station | Done? |
| 6 | Notice showing the polling station's area and number of electors, and the notice showing the hours of poll | Displayed? |
| 7 | List of contesting candidates | Displayed? |
| 8 | Connect the CU and BU and switch on the battery | Done? |
| 9 | Conduct the mock poll | Done? |
| 10 | Apply the pink paper seal and the special tag on the CU's Result Section | Applied? |
| 11 | Seal the CU's Result Section | Done? |
| 12 | Seal the CU with the strip seal | Done? |
| 13 | Declaration by the Presiding Officer at the commencement of the poll | Made? |
| 14 | Inform those present / candidates / polling agents of the secrecy provisions in s.128, RP Act 1951 | Told? |
| 15 | Tell the polling agents to note the numbers of the BU and of the pink paper seal, strip seal and special tag | Told? |
| 16 | Indelible ink on the left forefinger and signature / thumb impression in the voter register | Being done continuously? |
| 17 | Declaration from electors of doubtful (minor) age (Annex-10/11) | Obtained? |
| 18 | Account of votes recorded (Form 14-ग) | Accounts correctly prepared, and noted to the polling agents — or, if they take a copy, certified? |
| 19 | Maintenance of the Presiding Officer's Diary (Annex-7) | Being completed from time to time? |
| 20 | Close the poll at the appointed time | Done? |
| 21 | Declaration of close of poll | Made? |
| 22 | Signatures of the agents present | Permitted? |
| 23 | Seal the voting machine and the election papers | Done as per instructions? |
| 24 | Deposit the machine and other election material | Fully prepared for deposit? |
§2 — Outline of tasks, stage by stage (परिशिष्ट-14)
Source: [MG Annex-14, printed pp 120–121] — (see Part 3, para 1-1(xxx)) Images: p120 · p121
(1) On appointment
- [ ] From the appointment order, verify — name and number of your polling station · ward number · the correct location of the polling station
- [ ] Contact your polling officers; keep their home and office addresses and give them yours
- [ ] Attend as many training classes as possible
- [ ] Read — (1) the instruction handbook for Presiding Officers (2) the EVM manual (3) the RO's letter carrying important instructions
- [ ] Learn the items of polling material listed at Annexure-4
- [ ] Study carefully how to connect/disconnect the CU and BU and how to close and seal the CU
- [ ] Read the statutory and non-statutory forms in the appendices
- [ ] Read Annex-1 and 2 (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita · Municipalities Act 2009 · RP Act 1951) and Annex-3 (relevant provisions of the Municipalities (Election) Rules); if in doubt, contact the RO
(2) The day before the poll — on collecting material
- [ ] The CU and BU(s) given to you relate to your polling station only
- [ ] The CU's 'Cand Set Section' is duly sealed and the address tag firmly affixed
- [ ] The CU's battery is fully operational
- [ ] The BU(s)' top and bottom right portions are duly sealed and address tags firmly affixed
- [ ] The correct ballot paper is pasted on each BU and properly aligned under the ballot paper screen (Fig. 17)
- [ ] The slide switch is set to the correct position on each BU (Fig. 19)
- [ ] All items of material at Annexure-4 received in the required quantity
- [ ] 🚨 Check the serial numbers of the paper seals
- [ ] Check the electoral roll — supplements supplied · part number correct · page numbers in the working copies given serially · no corrections made to voters' printed serial numbers, and no new numbers substituted · names struck off per the supplements and clerical errors corrected
- [ ] List of contesting candidates — names and symbols match the ballot paper on the BU, in the same order; and after the last candidate the ballot paper carries the NOTA option and its prescribed symbol
- [ ] Indelible ink sufficient and its cap properly sealed; if not, re-seal with candle wax
- [ ] Check the arrow-cross mark rubber stamp and your brass seal; the rubber stamp must have seals stuck on both sides; stamp pads not dry
- [ ] Clear any doubt about the route — arrival time, place of departure and vehicle
(2a) The day before — at the polling station (arrive by 4 pm at the latest)
- [ ] Sufficient space outside for voters to wait, with separate queues for men and women
- [ ] Separate routes for entry and exit
- [ ] Voting compartment with adequate light
- [ ] Information showing the polling area and its voters prominently displayed
- [ ] Copy of the list of contesting candidates prominently displayed
- [ ] Appoint persons including a woman assistant to help identify voters
- [ ] Fix where you, the polling officers and the polling agents will sit, and where the CU will be kept
- [ ] 🚨 If any photograph of a political party leader is hung at the polling station, remove it or cover it completely
- [ ] 🚨 The machine and material must remain absolutely in your custody — never left with the police guard or any other person, only you or a polling officer chosen by you
(3) On poll day, on reaching the polling station
- [ ] 🚨 You and your party must reach 75 minutes before the appointed hour for the poll to begin
- [ ] On arrival, check the machine and the material
§3 — Machine operation: before the poll (Presiding Officer)
Source: [MPSV Ch.5] and [MG Ch.4]. In the presence of candidates / polling agents.
Ballot Unit (Figs. 14–17: p19, p21, p22) - [ ] Ballot paper properly fixed under the screen - [ ] Both RO seals on the right — top and bottom — in correct position - [ ] The pink paper seal on the lowest part of the BU (from commissioning) intact [2184 ¶9(xvi)]
Control Unit (Figs. 11–13: p11, p12) - [ ] RO's seal on the left of the Candidate Section in correct position - [ ] The FLC pink paper seal between Candidate Set and Result sections intact [2184 ¶5(xiv)] - [ ] Rear compartment opened, BU connected; second BU's cable to the back of the first - [ ] Result Section cover and inner compartment door opened — without forcing - [ ] Power ON → beep + green lamp; rear compartment closed
Proving zero
- [ ] CLEAR pressed — about 25 seconds, with beep
- [ ] Display: TOTAL VOTERS 0 · every CANDIDATE … VOTES 0 · END
- [ ] Shown to agents that no vote is already recorded
- [ ] If Invalid operation appeared → CRC (Close → Result-1 → Clear) repeated
§4 — Mock poll
- [ ]
BALLOT→ CU redBusy+ BU green - [ ] 🚨 At least one vote for every candidate INCLUDING NOTA — compulsory [MG Ch.4 p20; Ch.4-A p32]
- [ ] A slip issued to each mock-poll participant; PRO collected the slip [MG Ch.4-A(1)-(2)]
- [ ] Separate paper record of who voted for whom (per Annex-19)
- [ ]
TOTALreconciled — only withBusyoff - [ ]
CLOSE→POLL CLOSED - [ ]
RESULT-I→ result noted; matched against the manual record - [ ] 🚨
CLEAR— mock poll votes erased - [ ] After
END, 🚨 CU switched OFF - [ ] Mock poll certificate (Annex-19) prepared, attached to Annex-6, noted at diary item 30
§5 — Sealing after the mock poll
(Figs. 22(A)–(I): p37 · p38 · p39 · p40 · p41)
- [ ] Pink paper seal in the frame inside the inner door; white surface to the back, pink out through the hole
- [ ] PRO's full signature below the serial number + signatures of willing agents present
- [ ] Seal serial number noted, and agents made to note it (Check Memo item 15)
- [ ] Twine (two holes on the left) → knot → special tag + PRO's seal
- [ ] Special tag placed so the
CLOSEbutton stays easily available - [ ] Result Section outer cover sealed + special tag
- [ ] ABCD strip seal — steps 1 to 5
- [ ] ⚠️ Direct candle flame must not touch the machine; no molten wax
§6 — The actual poll
- [ ] BU in the voting compartment, at sufficient distance (cable 5 m); voters must not walk on the cable
- [ ] CU ON → 🚨
TOTAL= ZERO - [ ] Poll started at the appointed time; declaration made (Check Memo 13) and s.128 explained (14)
- [ ] Verified with
TOTALafter the first/second voter
PO-1 identifies (Annex-16 documents) → underlines name, √ for woman / * for third gender
→ PO-2 indelible ink on left forefinger → signature/thumb in Form 14-क → voter slip
→ PO-3 takes the slip, presses Ballot → voter votes → lamps off = vote recorded
(Detail: Polling Officers handbook §5)
§7 — Close of poll and sealing
- [ ] All voters standing in the queue were allowed to vote
- [ ]
CLOSEcap removed → pressed → replaced [SO 145 ¶1] - [ ] Total voters noted in the prescribed form; noted again via
TOTAL - [ ] Final reconciliation: voter register vs machine
- [ ] Power OFF → rear compartment → both latches pressed, BU disconnected [SO 145 ¶2]
- [ ] BU and CU into carrying cases → thread through the holes → PRO's seal on the address tag → lac [SO 145 ¶3-4]
- [ ] Address tag entries — CU: municipality · ward member number · CU identification no. · polling station name and number · date of poll [SO 145 ¶5]; BU: municipality · particulars of election · ward number · BU identification no. · station name and number · date of poll [SO 145 ¶6]
- [ ] Willing candidates/agents permitted to sign the address tags [SO 145 ¶7]
- [ ] Declaration of close of poll (item 21) · signatures of agents present (item 22)
- [ ] Papers sealed per the envelope list (Annex-15A) (item 23)
- [ ] Presiding Officer's Diary (Annex-7) completed
§8 — Seven fatal lapses
| # | Lapse | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Not CLEARing the mock poll votes |
[MPSV Ch.5 warning] |
| 2 | Not switching the CU off before sealing | [MPSV Ch.5 warning] |
| 3 | Not proving zero with TOTAL |
[MPSV Ch.5] |
| 4 | Not giving every candidate — including NOTA — one mock vote | [MG Ch.4 p20] |
| 5 | Not noting / not having agents note the paper seal number | [Check Memo 15]; [2292 ¶16] |
| 6 | Not completing the diary from time to time | [Check Memo 19] |
| 7 | Leaving the CLOSE cap open |
[MPSV Ch.3, Ch.5] |
§9 — What is still not in this module
- MPMV machine procedure — MPMV appears nowhere in the Margdarsika 2026; it covers only MPSV and M3A/MK-5
- Letter 826 (DMM) — at Compendium printed pp 222–229, not yet read
- Annexures 1, 2, 3, 5, 20 — extracted but not individually read
- Detail: GAPS