541. Administrative machinery for the conduct of election.
(1)The State Government shall, when so required, for the conduct of elections of municipalities, make available to the State Election Commission, the services of officers and staff in the required number.(2)The State Election Commission for the conduct of municipal elections, shall designate or nominate the Deputy Commissioner of the District as a District Election Officer (municipalities) for each district :Provided that the District Election Officer (municipalities) subject to direction, control and supervision of the State Election Commission, shall co-ordinate and supervise all works relating to conduct of election in the area within his jurisdiction.(3)For the municipal elections, the State Election Commission, on the recommendations of the District Election Officer (Municipalities) shall appoint Returning Officer for each Municipality who shall not be below the rank of Deputy Collector.(4)The State Election Commission, on the recommendation of the District Election Officer (Municipalities) shall appoint one or more Assistant Returning Officers for each Municipality who shall be an officer of the State Government to assist the Returning Officer of the Municipality in the discharge of his functions(5)The District Election Officer (Municipalities) shall appoint a Presiding Officer and as many Polling Officer or Officers as he deems necessary to assist the Presiding Officer for every polling station in each municipality:Provided that any person who is a Government servant or a servant of Government Company or servant of Government aided institutions may be appointed as Presiding Officer or Polling Officer:Provided further that when a Polling Officer is absent from the polling station, the Presiding Officer may appoint any person who is present at the polling station other than the persons appointed by the candidate for the elections as Polling Officer and shall accordingly inform the District Election Officer (Municipalities):Provided also that the Polling Officer, subject to the direction of the State Election Commission, on being authorised by the Presiding Officer perform all or any of the functions of Presiding Officer under this Act and the rules framed thereunder.(6)If the Presiding Officer owing to illness or any other unavoidable reason is compelled to be absent from the polling station, then his functions shall be performed by such Polling Officer who has been so authorised previously by the Returning Officer (Municipality) to perform such functions during such absence.(7)It shall be the general duty of the Presiding Officer to maintain order at the polling station and see that the poll properly goes.(8)It shall be the duty of a Polling Officer of a polling station to assist the Presiding Officer of such polling station in discharge of his functions.
