Instructions on How to operate Ballot Boxes during Municipal and Municipal Corporation Elections

Instructions on How to operate Ballot Boxes during Municipal and Municipal Corporation Elections 

Municipal Elections, Corporation Elections, Municipal Corporation Elections, Elections to municipalities, Elections to Corporations, Electoral List, Election ballot Papers, Elections with ballot boxes, Voting Compartment setup, How to operate Ballot Boxes. instructions-on-how-to-operate-ballot-boxes-during-municipal-elections.html

How To open Ballot box:

1. Undo the wire which SECURES the window cover to the button.
2. Turn window cover clockwise so as to expose the window fully as in Figure.
3. Hold your palm upwards and insert a figure through the window and extended it to the middle of the bottom of the lid to contact the BRACKET. (This bracket can be seen in Figure-4).
4. Pull bracket towards the window and turn the button gently ANTICLOCK – WISE until it stops, after less than a quarter, as in Figure-3. (The box is now unlocked and the lid can be opened to expose its inside) See Figure-4.
5. Allow the candidate or their agents to inspect the box without disturbing mechanism.

How to prepare box for balloting: 

Figure-5 shows that frame into which the Paper seal is to be inserted and also illustrate the correct method of inserting and securing it. To do this properly you have to proceed as follows:

1. Take the paper seal, either green or pink, have it signed near its wider end on its white face by the candidates or their agents who may desire to sign. Also sign yourself and record date.
2. Keep a record of the serial number of the paper seal used in the form prescribed and allow the
3. candidates or their agents to note the number.
4. Insert the ends of the paper seal through the inner chinks (see Figure-4) on either side of the central part of the frame so that the white side of the paper seal with the signatures should be visible below the lid of the box.

(iv) Make the narrower end of the seal shorter so that wider end with the signatures thereon is longer in order to prevent accidental damage to the paper seal. Strengthen it by inserting in the central part of the frame, a padding of card board of the size 2.1/10 x 1.7/16 after applying a little gum on the inner surface of that part of the paper seal only which is enclosed within the frame- Figure-5D. The padding should be thick enough so that the paper seal is held firmly in position. Check this by pulling it gently. The paper seal should not move at all.

(v) Secure the two top corners of the card – board to the paper seal and to the inner side of the lid of the ballot box by sealing wax (See Figure-5E). 

(vi) If any candidate or his agent arrives late and could not sign on the paper seal before its insertion into the frame, he should be allowed to sign or affix his seal on the longer portion of the paper seal at this stage if he so desires. 

(vii) Close the lid of box gently. Take care that the loose ends of the paper seal remain within the ballot box as in Figure-5F. Turn the button slightly clockwise until it stops with a click. The slit should now be fully open in the correct balloting position as in Figure-2. Do not turn the button further or the slit will get closed and no ballot paper can be inserted thereafter. In case this  happens through carelessness, the box will have to be reopened after destroying the paper seal and  will have to be prepared once again for balloting with a fresh paper seal.

(viii) Turn the window cover anti – clock wise so that the window is covered by it fully as in Figure-1. Run a piece of wire through the hole in the window cover and the corresponding hole in the button and twist the ends of the wire together tightly a few times so that the window cover is secured effectively to the button which cannot be turned thereafter. Then run a piece of twine through the holes in the window cover and the button and tie it tightly with multiple knots. Hold the free ends of the twine together and put your seal on them as close to knots as practicable after placing the ends on a piece of the thick strong paper.

How To close the slit and seal the box after balloting:

1. After the last voter has voted, remove the wire and cut the twine so as to free the window cover.
2. Move the window cover clockwise and turn the button hard in the clockwise direction until it stops and closes the slit completely (Figure-6).
3. Turn the window cover anti – clockwise so as to close the window fully. Hold the button and the window cover together, run a piece of wire through the hole in the window cover and the corresponding
4. hole in the button and secure them together firmly by twisting the ends of the wire together tightly a few times. (The ballot box will now appear as in Figure-7).
5. After closing and securing the ballot box or boxes of polling station, run a ribbon or tape on the four sides of the box lengthwise and breadth wise crossing each other on the lid passing under the handle if there is one and tie the knot firmly and seal the knot on a piece of thick paper or cardboard with your seal. The polling agents should also be asked to affix their seals or their signatures if they so desire. After this, the ballot box should be either:
6. placed in strong canvas bag with provision for closing it with a strong rope or other  locking arrangement and the bag closed and sealed by you, or
7. wrapped with a new cloth which shall be sewn and the seams sealed by you.

In either case, the polling agents present should be asked to affix their seals if they so desire. Also attach properly the address tag and the label on the canvas bag or cloth cover as the case may be or you may write the particulars in ink. The box is now ready for dispatch to Returning Officer.

ISSUE OF BALLOT PAPERS AND INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTERS REGARDING VOTING PROCEDURE
PRECAUTION AGAINST BALLOT PAPERS STICKING TOGETHER

Take care to see that two or more ballot papers do not stick together and as a result more ballot papers than one are issued to a voter. The best way to check this is for the polling officer incharge of ballot papers to take out the ballot paper meant for a voter while the voter‘s identity is being checked and to see that the serial number of the ballot paper left at the top of the bundle is

next to the serial number of the ballot paper taken out for issue.

DEFECTIVE BALLOT PAPERS

While issuing ballot papers, if any ballot paper is found defective, it should not be issued to any voter, but should be cancelled by you. Such defective ballot papers cancelled by you in the polling station may also be kept in the cover containing cancelled ballot papers. The counterfoil of such ballot paper will remain in the bundle with an endorsement ―Cancelled: defective ballot paper‖.

It has to be accounted for in Form-XXI Ballot Paper Account.

SPOILT BALLOT PAPERS

If any elector has marked a ballot paper wrongly, that marks it in favour of one candidate in the first instance, and on second thought wishes to vote in favour of another candidate, or has spoilt it and returns it to you, he may be given another ballot paper. In every such case, the voter should satisfy you of his inadvertence. The ballot paper so returned and the counterfoil of such ballot

papers shall be marked ―spoilt; cancelled. You should Record as ―Spoilt;  Cancelled on counterfoil of Ballot paper and ballot paper.

RECORD ALL SUCH CANCELLED BALLOT PAPERS

Keep a record of all such cancelled ballot papers. Such cancelled ballot paper should be kept in the cover for cancelled ballot papers and accounted for in ballot paper account in Part-I of Form-XXI.

PREFOLDING OF BALLOT PAPER 

When a ballot paper is handed over to an elector for marking his vote thereon, the last polling Officer incharge of rubber stamps will first fold the ballot paper twice, first vertically and then horizontally, in such a way that the distinguishing mark affixed on the back of the ballot paper is clearly visible at the top right hand corner. He will then unfold the ballot paper and hand it over

to the elector. 

Where the number of contesting candidates exceeds 9 (nine) including NOTA, the ballot papers will be printed in two (2) or more columns. The mode of folding these ballot papers will be different. The ballot paper shall be folded vertically first in the middle of each of the two halves and thereafter the third fold may be along the shaded vertical line dividing the two halves. It should then be folded horizontally in such a manner that the distinguishing mark affixed on its back is clearly visible. It should thereafter be unfold and handed over to the elector.

INSTRUCTIONS AS TO HOW THE BALLOT PAPER IS TO BE MARKED

The Polling Officer in-charge of the rubber stamps will instruct the voter:-

1. to go inside a voting compartment;
2. to record there his vote by making a mark on the symbol of the candidate for whom he wishes to vote with the inked rubber stamps given to him but no demonstration should be made by affixing the
3. rubber stamp on any particular symbol on a specimen ballot paper or any other paper. If any assistance is required by any voter, the procedure for marking should be explained by affixing the stamp on a piece of plain paper without any symbols;
4. not to stamp the ballot paper more than once;
5. to refold the ballot paper along the prefolded lines;
6. to bring it out of the voting compartment thereafter; and
7. to insert the folded ballot paper into the ballot box.

This Officer should ensure that the arrow cross-mark rubber stamp is adequately inked, but not over inked before it is handed over to the voter. He should check from time to time that the pad is not dry and the rubber of the arrow cross-mark rubber stamp is intact and in position. He should also

ensure that the self-inking pad is not kept inside the voting compartment at any stage. He should also see, particularly in the case of illiterate voter that they have understood how the stamp is to be used for marking. He may ask such a voter to make a mark with the stamp on a sheet of plain paper, if necessary.

VOTERS TO VOTE WITHOUT UNDUE DELAY

See that a voter does not stay in the compartment unduly long. No other voter should be allowed to go into a compartment when another voter is inside. When the voter comes out the polling officer will take the rubber stamp from him and ask him to insert the ballot paper into the ballot box.

PRECAUTIONS TO ENSURE CORRECT VOTING

If you notice that the voter has erroneously marked the ballot paper on the back or suspect that the voter has not marked the ballot paper at all you may ask the voter whether he has marked the ballot paper and if so, on the correct side and if not, instruct him to go back into voting compartment and

to make the mark. If the voter comes to you with the ballot paper unfolded or folded in the wrong way, you should rectify the defect, maintaining the secrecy of the vote. Ensure also that the voter puts into the box only the ballot paper given to him by checking the distinguishing mark on the back

whenever necessary. 

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