Section 58 in The Maharashtra Specified Co-operative Societies Elections to Committees Rules, 1971
58. Procedure for counting of votes where there are no separate constituencies or more than one seat to be filled in one constituency.
- In case where there are no constituencies defined in the bye-laws or where more than one seat is authorised in the bye-laws for a constituency, counting of votes for these seats shall be done in the following manner, namely :-(1)The counting of votes shall be done by and under the supervision of the Returning Officer, with the assistance of such persons as he may appoint to assist in the counting of votes.(2)After each ballot box is opened for counting, clearly valid voting papers shall be separated from invalid and doubtful voting papers. The invalid and doubtful voting papers shall be submitted to the Returning Officer for decision. The valid voting papers shall thereafter be taken for counting and the votes recorded in favour of each candidate shall be counted with the aid of persons appointed to assist in the counting of votes.(3)The Returning Officer shall allow the candidates and their Election or Counting Agents, who may be present, reasonable opportunity to inspect all voting papers, which in the opinion of the Returning Officer are liable to be rejected, but shall not allow them to handle those or any other voting papers. The Returning Officer shall on every voting paper which is rejected endorse the letter "R". If any candidate or his Election or Counting Agent questions the correctness of the rejection of any voting paper, the Returning Officer shall also record briefly on such voting paper the ground for its rejection.(4)After the counting of all voting papers counted in all the ballot boxes used has been completed, the Returning Officer shall cause to be sealed up in separate packets with a description endorsed on each such packet of the voting papers counted and that voting papers rejected.(5)The Returning Officer shall as far as practicable proceed continuously with the counting of the votes and shall during any intervals when the counting has to be suspended, keep the voting papers, packets and other documents relating to the election sealed with his own seal and the seal of such candidates or Election or Counting Agents as may desire to affix their seals and shall cause adequate precautions to be taken for their safe custody.(6)After the counting of voting papers contained in all the ballot boxes used at all the polling stations has been completed, the Returning Officer shall prepare a consolidated statement recording therein the total number of votes polled by each candidate.
