A Guide to Poll duties for Government Employees

A Guide to Poll duties for Government Employees – Presiding Officers, Polling Officers and Returning Officers

Stage is all set for a mammoth Democratic Process in the form of General Election in India from 7th April 2014 to 12th May 2014.

Mr.Sampath, Chief Election Commissioner said when he released the Schedule for General Elections 2014, as follows
“Elections to the world’s largest democracy pose immense challenges with respect to logistics and man and material management”.
While Election is held for 543 Parliamentary Constituencies in India, it would be the largest Election ever held in the world in terms of Number of voters which is calculated to be 81.45 Crores by Election Commission. Government is likely to spend around Rs.3500 Crores to elect Members of 16th Lok Sabha.

Above all, the Role of Government Employees, Teachers and Armed Forces who actually conduct this great event at the ground level gains much significance here. They would work for two continuous days and a night in between, for conducting a fair and peaceful election. They would work in unimaginable conditions at different terrains ranging from inaccessible coastal villages to tribal areas in high altitude Forests and deserts with scorching heat.

Government Officials in the rank of Group A will be given the charge of Returning Officer who is responsible for conduct of election in the constituency in which he / she is posted to.

Government Officials and Teachers in the rank of Group B and C will be posted as Presiding Officers and Polling Officers who would discharge their duties in a polling station. Their responsibilities include setting up of EVM (Electronic Voting Machine), verification of identity of voters to allow them to vote based on voters list and prescribed ID Cards, preparation of List of Voters allowed for voting, uninterrupted functioning of EVM while voting, and sealing of EVM after voting is over.

The responsibility of Uniformed Service Officials deputed to Election duty will be to provide security to citizens of India to exercise their right to vote and main law and order for conduct of fair and peaceful Election.

The following compilation of videos and hand books released by Election Commission and certain voluntary agencies from time time would be of much helpful to Government Employees to discharge their Election duty in an efficient manner.