POLL

Appointment of Polling Agents _ Identification (dt. 02.04.1996).

Election Commission's Letter No. 576/11/96/J.S-II, Dated : 2nd April, 1996, addressed to The Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories.
____________________________________________________________________

Subject :- Appointment of Polling Agents - identification.

I I am directed to refer to the Commission's letter No. 576/11/96/J.S. II dated 24th January, 1996 and 28th February, 1996, requiring three copies of photographs of each of the polling agents to be made available to the Returning Officer and the detailed procedure in regard to the maintenance and use of the three photographs in order to enable the Presiding Officers to be satisfied that polling agents are appointed by the candidate or their Election Agents only and not by an unauthorised person. This was in supersession of the Commission's earlier letter No. 576/11/94/J.S. II/Vol. I dated 16th December, 1994 on the subject, in which it was directed that specimen signatures of the contesting candidates and their election agents should be obtained by ROs and photocopies of the signatures supplied to each Presiding Officer. Observer of the Commission, Zonal Magistrate/Sector Magistrates etc. in the Constituency.

2. The Commission has since received representations from various political parties indicating practical difficulties in obtaining the photographs of the polling agents, mobilization of a large number of persons for photocopy, inadequate photography facilities in rural areas and tribal areas in addition to the cost which would be imposed on electioneering as an election expenditure. The Commission has carefully considered the practical difficulties expressed by the political parties in complying with the requirements of filing three copies of photographs of each polling age agent.

3. Having due regard to the genuineness of the difficulties expressed by the political parties, the Commission has decided to restore the status quo ante and directed that the procedure detailed in the Commission's letter No. 576/11/94/J.S. II/Vol. I dated 16th December, 1994 (copy enclosed) should be adequate to take care of preventing any malpractices and unscrupulous methods in the appointment of polling agents, if the specimen signatures of the candidates and their election agents are forwarded to the Presiding Officers as directed in the letter under reference. The Commission has, however, directed that this procedure of sending the specimen signatures in the form enclosed to the letter dated 16.12.1994 shall be followed without fail. In addition, it will be the responsibility of the Presiding Officer to satisfy himself in any other manner as to the bonafide and genuineness of the polling agent and his identity. Wherever, the Presiding Officer feels the necessity to have the identity of the polling agents established, he will, in addition to the requirement of the specimen signature being fulfilled be at liberty to require of the person seeking appointment as polling agent, the production of such documents as would establish his bonafide through any other means such as identity card, pass book, etc.

4. These notifications do not repeat not apply to counting agents.

5. These instructions shall be given in widest publicity.

6. Receipt of this letter with its enclosures shall be acknowledge immediately.



BACK TO INDEX I NEXT PAGE I NEXT DOCUMENT I BACK TO SEARCH I