Recording of votes · Adjournment and re-poll · Electoral offences · Depositing the material

For the Presiding Officer · Municipal General Election 2026 (Rajasthan)

Source: the State Election Commission's Margdarsika — Municipal General Election 2026 (EVM), chapters 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 — read from the page images. Page links in CITATIONS.

Sequence: 08 — before the poll → 07 — poll day → this file

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PART A — Recording of votes and the polling procedure [MG Ch.9]

§1 — Indelible ink [MG Ch.9(1)]

1.1 When, and by whom

After the First Polling Officer has verified identity, and if no challenge to identity has been made, the Second Polling Officer marks the left forefinger with indelible ink in the prescribed manner.

🚨 The order matters: "The mark of indelible ink is applied on the elector's left forefinger before obtaining his signature / thumb impression, so that by the time the elector leaves the polling station after voting, the ink has had enough time to dry and form a clear, indelible mark." → Ink first, signature afterwards.

1.2 Who shall not be permitted to vote 🚨

In three situations the elector shall not be permitted to vote:

1. the elector refuses to have the left forefinger inspected or marked;
2. such a mark already exists on his left forefinger;
3. he does any act with a view to removing the ink.

Oily or greasy substance: if it is noticed that the elector has applied an oily or greasy substance on the finger so as to defeat the mark, that substance must be removed by the polling officer with the help of the piece of cloth supplied, before the ink is applied.

1.3 If there is no forefinger — the ladder [MG Ch.9(1)3] 🚨

no left forefinger              →  any other finger of the left hand
no finger on the left hand      →  the right forefinger
no right forefinger either      →  any other finger of the right hand, beginning with the forefinger
no finger on either hand        →  on such extremity (stump) of the left or right arm as he has

If a mark from another recent election is present: where an election to some other office was held only a few days before these elections and the voter carries an indelible-ink mark on the forefinger, action is taken under the Commission's order no. 2205 dated 04.07.2019 — Annexure-18.

1.3-A 🚨 Annexure-18 has been read — the complete finger table

Order F.1(4)(1)/Nagarpalika/RaNiA/2014/2205 dated 04.07.2019 · power: rule 97 (removal of difficulties)

First proviso to rule 35-A(2)(a) — original English text, as quoted in Annexure-18: "Provided that where such a mark already exists on the left forefinger of the voter, it shall be deemed that he had cast his vote already at the election and shall not be permitted to vote."

ℹ️ The order also says that if municipal elections follow immediately after a re-poll in a Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha election, separate instructions will be issued. ⚠️ Which row applies at this election must be confirmed from the last order of the district / the Commission. Full text → 10 §2

1.4 Ink at a re-poll 🚨

"At a fresh poll / re-poll the mark of indelible ink applied at the original poll is to be disregarded, and a fresh mark of indelible ink is to be applied on the elector's left middle finger, at the base of the nail, in such a way that the ink spreads between the skin and the base of the nail and a clear mark remains." Instructions for marking the finger with indelible ink — Annexure-17.

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§2 — The voters' register, Form 14-A [MG Ch.9(2) · Ch.3(8)8]

2.1 How the columns are filled

Illustration [MG Ch.9(2)1]: the first voter stands at serial 256 in the roll → column (1) = 1, column (2) = 256. The second voter stands at serial 304 → column (1) = 2, column (2) = 304.

🚨 The last four digits [MG Ch.3(8)8]: "The last four digits of the serial number of the identity document on the basis of which the voter's identity has been established shall be entered by the Second Polling Officer in the remarks column of the voters' register. If the serial number of such a document is of fewer than four digits, then the complete serial number appearing on the document shall be entered."**

2.2 What "signature" means 🚨 [MG Ch.9(2)2]

"Signature means the writing of a person's name on a document with the intention of authenticating that document. A literate person will be expected to write both his full name and surname."

🚨 "If a literate person simply puts a mark and insists, while claiming to be literate, that the mark be accepted as his signature, that mark cannot be treated as a signature … In such a case, if he refuses to sign his full name, his thumb impression should be taken. If he refuses to give his thumb impression as well, he should not be permitted to cast his vote."**

2.3 The thumb impression [MG Ch.9(2)3]

1. If unable to sign → the left thumb impression. 🚨 "Note that it is not necessary for the Presiding Officer or any Polling Officer to attest such a thumb impression on the register."**
2. 🚨 The ladder that follows rule 35-A(2) — no left thumb → the right thumb neither thumb → any finger, beginning with the left forefinger no finger on the left → any finger of the right hand, beginning with the forefinger no finger at all → 🚨 the voter is unable to record the vote himself ⇒ he must necessarily take the help of a companion under rule 38-A; the companion's signature or thumb impression is taken on the register
3. The impression must be clear — neither so little ink that it blurs, nor so much that it smudges.
4. After the impression is taken, the ink on the elector's thumb should be wiped off with a damp cloth.
5. Where the companion of a blind or infirm voter signs, put a note against that entry in the register.

2.4 What is marked in the marked copy of the roll 🚨 [MG Ch.3(1)17 · Ch.14(4)13]

The First Polling Officer shall disregard printing and clerical errors in the roll [MG Ch.14(3)10]. 🚨 "Sometimes an age of 21 years gets printed as 12. Such errors are to be disregarded." [MG Ch.3(8)6]

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§3 — The voter's slip [MG Ch.9(3)]

The form:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      VOTER'S SLIP                        │
│                                                          │
│  Serial number of the elector as per column (1)          │
│  of the register of voters .....................         │
│                                                          │
│  Serial number of the elector as entered in the          │
│  electoral roll .................                        │
│                                                          │
│  Initials of the Polling Officer ...............         │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

• 🚨 Printed on a paper of half the size of a post card; supplied having regard to the number of electors at the polling station, in bundles of one hundred or fifty slips, with the polling material.
• The Second Polling Officer prepares the slip, hands it to the voter, and directs him to go to the Presiding Officer or, as the case may be, the Third Polling Officer (who is in charge of the Control Unit).

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§4 — Recording of votes in sequence 🚨 [MG Ch.9(4)]

1. As soon as the voter reaches the Third Polling Officer with the slip, he is permitted to vote on the basis of that voter's slip alone.
2. 🚨 "It is essential that voters record their votes on the voting machine in the same order in which they have been entered in the register of voters. You, or the polling officer in charge of the Control Unit, should permit a voter to proceed towards the voting compartment only according to the serial number mentioned in the voter's slip."**
3. 🚨 Exception: "If, for any extraordinary circumstance or unavoidable reason, it is not possible to follow the fixed serial order, then a suitable entry showing the serial number at which he has in fact voted shall be recorded in the remarks column of the register of voters against the person concerned. A corresponding entry should also be made in respect of the subsequent voter whose order has been disturbed on that account."**

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§5 — Permission to record the vote [MG Ch.9(5)]

1. As soon as the voter arrives with the slip, the slip is taken from him and he is permitted to vote.
2. All the collected slips are carefully preserved and, at the close of the poll, kept in a separate cover — envelope E-3 — which is sealed and kept safe.
3. 🚨 The second ink check: "After collecting the voter's slip from the voter, the Third Polling Officer in charge of the Control Unit shall examine his left forefinger. If the indelible ink applied on it is faint or has been removed, it shall be applied again so that a clear indelible-ink mark is formed."**
4. The voter is then directed to proceed to the voting compartment to record his vote.

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§6 — The polling process — who presses 'BALLOT' 🚨 [MG Ch.9(6)]

The Margdarsika's express text: "So that the voter may record his vote, the 'Ballot' button of the Control Unit shall be pressed by the Third Polling Officer in charge of the Control Unit, who will keep the Balloting Unit(s) in the voting compartment ready for the recording of the vote."

This is corroborated at three places — [MG Ch.9(6)1] · [MG Ch.14(3)10 — the third polling officer] · [MG Ch.3(8) and Ch.9(3)1 — "the Presiding Officer or, as the case may be, the Third Polling Officer"].

6.1 The sequence of signals

press 'Ballot'
  → CU's 'Busy' lamp turns RED  +  BU's 'Ready' lamp turns GREEN
the voter presses the button of his choice (candidate or NOTA)
  → that panel's lamp turns RED  +  the BU's green lamp goes off  +  a BEEP from the CU
a few moments later
  → the beep stops  +  the BU's candidate lamp goes off  +  the CU's 'Busy' red lamp goes off

These visual and audible signals are the indication that the voter has recorded his vote. The voter should come out of the voting compartment at once and leave the polling station.

• 🚨 Only one voter at a time may enter the voting compartment.
• 🚨 The "Ballot" button is to be pressed only after the previous voter has come out of the compartment.

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§7 — Periodic reconciliation with the 'Total' button [MG Ch.9(7)]

1. To know the total at any time, press the 'Total' button. The display panel shows the total number of votes cast up to that moment. This should be done from time to time and reconciled with the number of voters permitted to vote up to that time as shown in the register of voters.
2. At the close of the poll (Annexure-7 — the Presiding Officer's Diary), ascertain the number of votes cast, reconcile it, and enter it in the relevant column of the diary.
3. 🚨 Press the 'Total' button only when the 'Busy' lamp is not on — that is, after the permitted elector has recorded his vote and before 'Ballot' is pressed for the next elector.

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§8 — The Presiding Officer entering the voting compartment [MG Ch.9(8)] — rule 37-B

When he may enter — where he doubts, or has reason to doubt, that: - the Balloting Unit placed in the screened voting compartment is not working properly, or - an elector is tampering or interfering with the Balloting Unit, or - an elector has remained in the voting compartment for an unduly long time.

He then has the power under rule 37-B to enter and take the necessary steps.

8.1 The two mandatory conditions 🚨

1. Whenever the Presiding Officer enters the voting compartment, he should ask the polling agents present to accompany him.
2. 🚨 "The Presiding Officer should not, however, go into the voting compartment to explain to an unfamiliar voter how the electronic machine is to be used."

8.2 The dummy Balloting Unit sheet 🚨

"District Election Officers have been directed to supply the Presiding Officer with a model of a dummy Balloting Unit on printed cardboard, so that the Presiding Officer can explain the use of the EVM outside the voting compartment."

⚠️ Read the two provisions together: [MG Ch.3(8)15] says "if a voter, owing to infirmity or unfamiliarity, seeks assistance in voting in the prescribed manner, the Presiding Officer shall render him such assistance (Annexure-3, rule 39)" — 🚨 the original text of rule 39 (Annexure-3, read on 21.08.2026): "Assistance in voting — where an elector is unable, on account of infirmity or illiteracy, to vote in the prescribed manner, the Presiding Officer shall render him such assistance as may be required for voting." — whereas [MG Ch.9(8)2] says that the Presiding Officer should not go into the compartment to explain matters to an unfamiliar voter. The practical resolution the Margdarsika itself supplies: explain outside the compartment, from the dummy sheet, in the presence of the agents; the route for formal assistance inside the compartment is the companion under rule 38-A (blind / infirm).

✅ There is no conflict — the two rules rest on different grounds:

Rule	Ground	Remedy
Rule 38-A	blindness or other infirmity (not illiteracy)	a companion aged 18+ inside the compartment, a declaration, record in Form 12
Rule 39	infirmity or illiteracy	the Presiding Officer renders "such assistance as may be required" — which in practice means explaining from the dummy Balloting Unit sheet, outside the compartment, before the agents [MG Ch.9(8)2]

🚨 Hence a companion is not available on the ground of illiteracy alone — already correctly recorded at 07 §3.

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PART B — Adjournment or stopping of the poll [MG Ch.10]

§9 — 🚨 Two entirely different situations — never mix them

✅ The printing discrepancy noted earlier has been resolved (from Annexure-3, 21.08.2026): the original text of rule 55(5) reads "…36, 37A, 37B, 38A, 39, 40A, 41, 42, 43, 44A, 45A, 46A…" — that is, the rule itself includes 37B and 45A. Their omission at [MG Ch.10(4)6] is a printing error in the Margdarsika. The complete list is the law.

9.0-A 🚨 Four distinct mechanisms — rules 52, 53, 55 and 56

🚨 A bar on counting appears in two places: Rule 53(2): no counting of that election until the adjourned poll is completed. Rule 55(3): "Where a report has been made to the SEC under sub-rule (1), the RO shall not commence the counting of votes until he has obtained the permission of the SEC to do so."**

9.1 Adjournment — what the Presiding Officer does [MG Ch.10(1) · Ch.3(8)18]

1. If there is a riot or open violence, first have it controlled through the police force. Adjourn only if it cannot be controlled and continuing the poll has become impossible. 🚨 "This special power should be used as sparingly as possible and only where the poll has in fact become impossible."**
2. 🚨 "A light shower of rain, or a strong wind, or a minor scuffle, is not a sufficient cause for adjourning the poll proceedings."** [MG Ch.3(8)18]
3. Send a full report of the facts to the Returning Officer at once.
4. Announce publicly that intimation about the adjourned poll will be given later — the date will be notified by the State Election Commission.
5. 🚨 In the presence of the polling agents, seal and secure both kinds of units and all the election papers exactly as is done at a normal close of poll. Candidates / agents may affix their own seals.
6. These provisions apply equally where the poll could not be commenced at all — because the polling party did not arrive, or for any other reason [MG Ch.10(2)4].

9.2 Completing an adjourned poll — rule 54-A [MG Ch.10(2)]

1. Obtain from the RO the sealed packet containing the marked copy of the roll and the Form 14-A register of voters previously used at that same polling station, together with a new voting machine.
2. 🚨 The sealed packet must be reopened only in the presence of such candidates or their agents as are present, and the same marked copy and the same register of voters must be used at the adjourned poll.

9.3 Closing the machine on booth capturing — rule 55(6) 🚨 [MG Ch.10(4)]

1. If the Presiding Officer is of the opinion that the booth is being captured → close the CU at once and detach the BU(s) from the CU.
2. 🚨 "You should report the stopping of the poll to the Returning Officer only when you are certain that the booth is being captured, and not merely on an apprehension or suspicion of the possibility … because once the CU has been closed by pressing the 'Close' button, the machine will record no further votes and the poll will necessarily have to be adjourned until a new machine is made available."
3. Report to the RO as soon as possible; the RO reports at once to the SEC. Also enter the particulars in the diary [MG Ch.3(8)20].
4. The SEC, after considering all the circumstances, may — if satisfied that the poll was vitiated — declare the poll void and direct a fresh poll.
5. The machine and all election papers are to be sealed and secured in the same manner as at the close of the poll.

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PART C — Electoral offences [MG Ch.12]

§10 — Provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 that apply to municipal elections

Basis: section 28 of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009 — the extract is at Annexure-2. By virtue of it, sections 125, 126, 127, 127A, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 132A, 133, 134, 134A, 134B, 135, 135A, 135B, 135C and 136 of the RP Act 1951 also apply to municipal elections. Their extracts are also at Annexure-2.

✅ Citation note — resolved (from Annexure-2, 21.08.2026): at serial 7 the Margdarsika prints "section 133 read with section 125(5)". The original text of section 133 at Annexure-2 reads — "If any person is guilty of any such corrupt practice as is specified in clause (5) of section 123 at or in connection with an election, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine, or with both." → The correct reference is section 123(5), not 125(5). Teach 123(5) in training.

⚠️ Incompleteness of Annexure-2 (recorded): section 28 lists 19 sections, but Annexure-2 does not print the text of section 135B (paid holiday) or section 135C (liquor during 48 hours) — even though items 13 and 14 of chapter 12 rest on those very sections. The statement is the Commission's own and is valid; only the extract-set is incomplete.

§10.1 Beyond section 28 — section 15 of the Act 🚨

Annexure-2(a) also extracts section 15 of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009:

"Section 15. Making a false declaration:— If any person makes in connection with — (a) the preparation, revision or correction of an electoral roll, or (b) the inclusion or exclusion of any entry in an electoral roll — a statement or declaration in writing which is false … he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both."

§10.2 The table of punishments — from the original text at Annexure-2

§10.3 The definition of "booth capturing" — the five activities [RP Act, Explanation to s.135A]

1. Seizure of a polling station or the place fixed for the poll, making the polling authorities surrender the ballot papers or voting machines, and doing any other act which affects the orderly conduct of elections;
2. Taking possession and allowing only one's own supporters to vote, preventing others from voting freely;
3. Coercing, intimidating or threatening any elector, directly or indirectly, and preventing him from going to the polling station;
4. Seizure of the place fixed for counting, making the counting authorities surrender the ballot papers or machines, and doing any other act which affects the orderly counting of votes;
5. 🚨 The doing of any of the above activities by any person in the service of the government to advance the prospects of the election of any candidate, or aiding or abetting or conniving at it.

ℹ️ The Explanation to rule 55 repeats the same definition but has four clauses — the counting-place clause is not there (because rule 55 relates to the polling station).

§10.4 Rule 77 — printing or clerical error in the roll 🚨

"If … a question arises for the decision of the Returning Officer or of any Presiding Officer whether an entry in the electoral roll relates to a particular person, he shall … for reasons to be recorded, decide whether the entry relates to that person or not, notwithstanding any clerical or printing error therein."

This is the legal basis of [MG Ch.3(8)6] — "printing and clerical errors are to be disregarded … sometimes an age of 21 years gets printed as 12". Note that the rule requires reasons to be recorded.

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PART D — Depositing the voting machine and papers [MG Ch.13]

§11 — The three counters

At the collection centre indicated by the District Election Officer / Returning Officer. Normally three counters; the DEO / RO may vary the arrangement slightly for convenience.

🅰 Counter no. 1 — the strong-room counter (5 items)

🚨 Note: all four unsealed envelopes, E-9 to E-12, go with the machine to the strong-room counter — not to counter 2, where the papers go.

🅱 Counter no. 2 — the envelopes

Sealed (E-1 to E-8):

🚨 "All the above envelopes (E-1 to E-8) shall be sealed, of which envelopes E-1 to E-6 shall form a separate packet."

Not sealed — also at counter 2:

• E-13 — unused voters' slips
• E-14 — the following papers: 1. Declarations by the companions of blind and infirm voters 2. List of blind and infirm voters (Form 12) 3. Unused address tags and special tags 4. Forms for the appointment of polling agents (Form 9) 5. Other copies of the electoral rolls (apart from the marked copy) 6. Declarations and list relating to voters' age (Annexures 10 and 11) 7. The challenge-fee receipt book (Annexure 13) 8. Unused and damaged paper seals and strip seals 9. Any other election papers

ℹ️ Difference from the chapter 11 list: the E-14 list in chapter 11 carried both Form 9 and Form 10 (appointment and revocation) and did not carry the age declarations. The chapter 13 list is the fuller one and is the one to use while depositing; if a Form 10 (revocation) has been received, it too goes into E-14.

🅲 Counter no. 3 — other election material (16 items)

 1. the PRO's brass seal                    9. cloth bags, if any
 2. the handbook for the Presiding Officer 10. cloth screens or the cardboard compartment
    and the other law books                11. distinguishing-mark seals
 3. the EVM instruction manual              12. rubber seal "CANCELLED"
 4. stamp pad                               13. unused Balloting / Control Units
 5. stamp pad ink                           14. canvas bag
 6. phials of indelible ink                 15. the dummy Balloting Unit sheet
 7. the arrow-cross mark seal               16. any other material that was supplied
 8. metal rule

§11.1 🚨 Three things that are forgotten while depositing

1. An envelope and a form are prepared even where the information is nil: "You must prepare all the envelopes as above, even if some information is nil, and you must also fill in and place the relevant form in those envelopes, even if the information in them is nil." [MG Ch.3(8)12 also: "If nothing is to be filled in a form, write the word 'NIL' on it, sign it, and close it in the envelope."]

2. Do not leave a counter without a receipt: "At the counters you should … hand over the material properly and obtain a receipt for it from the officers concerned before leaving the counter. No negligence in this will be excusable." [MG Ch.3(1)28: *"This is your personal responsibility* …"]

3. Do not stop anywhere on the way: "Immediately after the close of the poll you will close the packets of papers as soon as possible and seal with sealing wax only those which are to be so sealed, and, without wasting time at the polling station, … reach the collection centre … and will not go to any other place on the way, nor stop unnecessarily." [MG Ch.3(8)22: "**Not all envelopes are to be sealed with sealing wax; do not waste sealing wax unnecessarily."]

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PART E — A short guide for Presiding Officers [MG Ch.14]

§12 — Chapter 14 as a checklist

12.1 While receiving the material

• [ ] Keep a close rapport with the members of the polling party — "unless there is teamwork your task will become much harder"
• [ ] You have received the CU and the required number of BUs, and they belong to your own polling station
• [ ] On each BU the ballot paper is properly fixed and aligned
• [ ] On each BU the 'slide switch' is in the proper position
• [ ] The CU's candidate-set section and every BU are sealed, and the address tags are properly affixed
• [ ] Check especially: the register of voters · voters' slips · tendered ballot papers · the arrow-cross mark seal · the rubber stamp · the pink paper seal · the ABCD strip seal · the candle · indelible ink · address tags · special tags
• [ ] Tally the other copies against the marked copy; no mark other than 'PB' and 'EDC'
• [ ] Deletions and the corrections per the supplementary lists have been carried into all copies
• [ ] All pages of the working copy are serially numbered in the original copy
• [ ] The printed serial numbers have not been corrected and new numbers substituted

12.2 Setting up the polling station and preparing the machine (22 steps)

• [ ] 1. Reach at least one hour in advance
• [ ] 2. The station is set up per the model layout; separate entry and exit
• [ ] 3. Outside: the notice of the polling area + a copy of the list of candidates
• [ ] 4. Begin preparing the machine at least one hour in advance
• [ ] 5. Connect the BU and the CU
• [ ] 6. Switch on the power switch in the rear compartment of the CU
• [ ] 7. Secure the rear compartment by tying it with thin wire and putting a few knots
• [ ] 8. Show the agents that no data is stored and no vote is recorded
• [ ] 9. Conduct a mock poll by getting a few votes recorded for every candidate
• [ ] 10. Show the result and then clear the data
• [ ] 11. Affix the pink paper seal in the door frame of the inner compartment of the result section
• [ ] 12. Both ends of the seal must remain outside the edges
• [ ] 13. Put your full signature on the face of the paper seal, below the printed serial number
• [ ] 14. Signatures of such agents as are willing; let them note the serial number
• [ ] 15. Seal the door of the inner compartment with the special tag
• [ ] 16. Close and seal the outer cover of the result section; affix the address tag on it
• [ ] 17. Let the agents also affix their seals on the outer cover
• [ ] 18. Seal the CU carefully from the outside with the strip seal
• [ ] 19. The BU in the voting compartment; the CU on your own table
• [ ] 20. Lay the cable so that the voter does not have to step over it
• [ ] 21. Show the agents — nothing other than 'PB' / 'EDC' in the marked copy
• [ ] 22. Show the agents — no entry in Form 14-A

12.3 At the commencement of the poll

• [ ] Read out and sign the declaration (Annexure-6)
• [ ] Commence the poll at the appointed hour
• [ ] Read out section 128 of the RP Act 1951 aloud as a warning to everyone
• [ ] Only one agent of one candidate at a time
• [ ] Impartial polling; courtesy towards the observer
• [ ] Canvassing within 100 metres is an offence; smoking is prohibited
• [ ] 🚨 No special treatment or importance to any special or well-known person

Division of duties among the Polling Officers (where there are three POs) 🚨

12.4 During the poll (points 11–23)

• [ ] 11. Votes strictly in the order of the register; no permission without a signature / thumb impression
• [ ] 12. Entertain a challenge only when the challenge fee of ₹2 has been paid in cash; record in Form 13
• [ ] 13. If the challenge is established, hand the impersonator over to the police with a written complaint
• [ ] 14. Take a declaration from the companion of a blind / infirm voter; record in Form 12
• [ ] 15. If the age appears far below 18 but you are satisfied about identity → take a declaration of age (Annexure-10); 🚨 do not ask any question about his eligibility
• [ ] 16. If someone else has already voted in his name and you are satisfied about identity → a tendered ballot paper; he is not permitted to record a vote on the machine
• [ ] 17. The tendered ballot papers and the Form 14-B list go into separate envelopes
• [ ] 18. If, even after a warning, he does not observe the prescribed procedure of secrecy → he is not permitted to vote
• [ ] 19. Make the entry in the remarks column; do not alter the serial number in column 1 (with the Presiding Officer's full signature below it [MG Ch.3(8)10])
• [ ] 20. If you have to enter the voting compartment, take the agents with you
• [ ] 21. Explain from the dummy Balloting Unit sheet, if the voters so wish
• [ ] 22. 🚨 A few minutes before the close, distribute slips to everyone standing in the queue, beginning from the tail end of the queue — the slips bear your own signature [MG Ch.3(1)25]
• [ ] 23. Let everyone who has received a slip vote, even if the poll has to continue beyond the appointed hour

12.5 At the close of the poll (points 1–15)

• [ ] 1. After the last elector has voted, formally announce that the poll is closed
• [ ] 2. Close the machine by pressing "Close"; then replace the plastic / rubber cap on the Close button
• [ ] 3. Prepare the account of votes recorded in Form 14-C (Annexure-8 = the form itself)
• [ ] 4. Disconnect the BU and the CU
• [ ] 5. Switch off the power switch in the rear compartment of the CU
• [ ] 6. Place both in their respective carrying cases
• [ ] 7. Seal the carrying cases on both sides; an address tag on each
• [ ] 8. Let all the agents affix their seals on the cases
• [ ] 9. Seal all the election papers and material in separate packets
• [ ] 10. 🚨 Keep the diary complete in every respect — complete the entries whenever an incident occurs, not at the close of the poll [MG Ch.3(1)23 — Annexure-7]
• [ ] 11. If there is violence or a riot → the poll is adjourned; report the full facts to the RO at once
• [ ] 12. Booth capturing / the machine or material being taken away without authority, damaged or tampered with → stop the poll; report to the RO at once
• [ ] 13. 🚨 On issuing a tendered ballot paper, mark the letter 'T' in the marked copy
• [ ] 14. Do not let any polling agent wear the election symbol of a candidate or party
• [ ] 15. 🚨 While a voter is recording his vote, do not allow anyone else to go there, and do not allow his photograph to be taken at that time

12.6 ✅ The time schedule — resolved (from Annexure-14, 21.08.2026)

A discrepancy had earlier been recorded here between chapter 14's "one hour" and the handbook's "75 minutes". Annexure-14 itself says 75 minutes — there is no conflict, because chapter 14 says "at least" (a minimum).

12.7 🚨 Annexure-14 — four extra requirements for the day before the poll

12.8 Three warnings in Annexure-14 that must be repeated in training

🚨 "Never rely on your memory and your past experience, because it may deceive you. The instructions keep changing considerably from time to time." [Annex-14 (1)1]

🚨 Tallying the list of candidates: "You should tally the names and symbols of the candidates given in the list, and their order must also be the same as that on the ballot paper on the Balloting Unit. Also see that on the ballot paper, after the last contesting candidate, the NOTA (None of the Above) option and the symbol prescribed for it is given." [Annex-14 (2)1(10)]

🚨 The phial of indelible ink: "Its cap is properly sealed; if it is not, close it again with wax from the candle." · The seals are stuck on both sides of the arrow-cross mark rubber stamp, and the stamp pads are not dry. [Annex-14 (2)1(11)–(12)]

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§13 — One-page summary

indelible ink   →  PO-2, left forefinger, 🚨 BEFORE the signature
                   refusal / mark already there / any act to remove it = no vote
                   no forefinger → left hand → right forefinger → right hand → stump
                   re-poll = left MIDDLE finger (Annex-18, order 2205 dt 04.07.2019)

Form 14-A       →  col(1) serial 1,2,3… · col(2) roll serial no. · col(3) signature/thumb
                   🚨 last 4 digits of the identity document in remarks
                   a literate person's "mark" is not a signature; then thumb; if he refuses that too → no vote

marked copy     →  underline below the name · woman = √ on the left · third gender = * on the left
                   tendered = 'T' · pre-printed 'PB' and 'EDC' · EDC holder written at the end

voter's slip    →  half a post card · bundles of 50/100 · PO-2 prepares, PO-3 collects
                   PO-3 then re-checks the ink → only then sends him into the compartment

pressing BALLOT →  🚨 the Third Polling Officer (in charge of the CU)
                   Busy red + Ready green → vote → red + beep → all go off
pressing TOTAL  →  only when Busy is off · reconcile with 14-A from time to time

entering the    →  rule 37-B · take the agents with you
compartment        🚨 do NOT go in to explain to an unfamiliar voter → dummy BU sheet, outside, before agents

adjournment     →  the PRO adjourns · resumes from the same stage · only the electors who had not voted
(53 / 54-A)        a new machine · light rain / strong wind / a minor scuffle = NOT sufficient cause
re-poll (55)    →  the SEC declares the poll void · everyone votes again · ink on the left middle finger
booth capturing →  🚨 only when certain — press Close + detach the BU + report to the RO + the diary

depositing      →  counter 1 = strong room: the machine + E-9, 10, 11, 12 (all unsealed)
                   counter 2 = E-1…E-8 sealed (E-1…E-6 a separate packet) + E-13, E-14 unsealed
                   counter 3 = 16 items (brass seal, stamp pad, arrow-cross, dummy BU sheet…)
                   🚨 an envelope + form even if NIL · 🚨 leave only with a receipt · 🚨 no stopping on the way

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