Section 48 in Tamil Nadu Farmers' Management of Irrigation Systems Election Rules, 2003
48. Destruction or loss of ballot papers at the time of counting of votes.
(1)If at any time before the counting of votes is completed and ballot papers used at a polling station or at a place fixed for the poll or unlawfully taken out or the ballot papers are accidentally or intentionally destroyed or lost or damaged or tampered with, to such an extent that the result of the poll at that polling station or place cannot be ascertained, the Returning Officer shall, after taking all material circumstances into account, either -(a)direct that the counting of votes shall be stopped, declare the poll at that polling station or place to be void, appoint a day and fix the hours for taking a fresh poll at the polling station or place and notify the date so appointed and hours so fixed; or(b)if satisfied that the result of a fresh poll at that polling station or place will not, in any way, affect the result of the election, such directions may be issued by the Returning Officer for the resumption and completion of the counting.(2)The provisions of these rules shall apply to any and every such fresh poll as they apply to the original poll.
