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General/Bye elections-Steps to eliminate urchin voting.

Election Commission's letter No. 576/11/84-L.S.II, dated 5th November, 1984, to all Chief Electoral Officers of the States/Union Territories.
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Subject :- General/Bye-elections - steps to eliminate urchin voting.

I am directed to state that in certain States/Union Territories, a large number of underaged electors have been included in the electoral rolls. Normally, the presumption is that a person whose name is included in the electoral rolls, is eligible in all respects to be included in the rolls and the presiding officer is not expected to ask any questions as to his eligibility. But this presumption is not irrefutable in all cases and the Presiding Officers are not helpless if an underaged elector comes to vote. In clear cases of underaged electors, the Presiding Officer should obtain a declaration from such underaged electors about their correct age before allowing them to vote. All such cases should be included in the list prescribed for this purpose. The Presiding Officers should be directed to strictly follow the instructions contained in the Handbook for Presiding Officers. This point should also be emphasised in the training classes for the Presiding Officers.

2. All concerned election officials may also be instructed that after the completion of the election, copies of declarations contained from the electors whose age is doubted should be forwarded to the Electoral Registration Officer of the constituency concerned for enquiry and if it is found that they were not eligible to be enrolled as electors being underaged on the qualifying date, steps should be taken for deletion of their names under section 22 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 after following the procedure laid down for such deletion. Penal action under section 31 of the above Act may also be initiated in such cases by the Electoral Registration Officers concerned.

3. The earlier communication of the Commission in its letter No. 576/11/81LS, dated the 18th April 1981 may be treated as superseded.

4. The receipt of this letter may be acknowledged.



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