Section 52 in Tamil Nadu Panchayats (Elections) Rules, 1995
52. Voting procedure for electors on election duty.
(1)When an elector entitled to vote at an election is duly appointed for election duty at a polling station at which he is not ordinarily entitled to record his vote, or is drafted for other election duty and is unable to vote, he may send a request in Form 15 to the Returning Officer so as to reach him at least seven days, or such shorter period as the Returning Officer may allow, before the date of the poll. If the Returning Officer is satisfied that the applicant is so entitled to vote, he shall forward to the applicant an election duty certificate in Form 16 along [with a ballot paper beginning from the last of the serial number from out of] [Substituted by G. O. Ms. No. 175, Rural Development (PE), dated the 28th August 1997.] those meant for the polling station where the applicant is ordinarily entitled to record his vote. The Returning Officer shall stamp on the back of the ballot paper and the counter-foil the words [E.D.C.] [Substituted by G. O. Ms. No. 175, Rural Development (PE), dated the 28th August 1997.]. He shall, before forwarding such ballot paper, underline the entry relating to that elector in the marked copy of the electoral roll relating to the polling station at which the elector is entitled to [record his vote and write the letters E.D.C. against such entry denoting that the] [Substituted by G. O. Ms. No. 175, Rural Development (PE), dated the 28th August 1997.] elector has been issued with a ballot paper.(2)On receiving the ballot paper, the elector on election duty shall record his vote by making a tick mark on the ballot paper against the name/s or symbol/s of the candidate/s to whom he intends to vote. The mark may be made anywhere in the compartment within which the symbol or name of such candidate is printed on the ballot paper. The elector shall sign a declaration in Form 17. He shall, then, enclose the ballot paper in an envelope provided for the purpose and stick the envelope and secure it by seal or otherwise. He shall, then, enclose the envelope containing the marked ballot paper in an outer cover provided for this purpose, as well as the election duty certificate and the declaration aforesaid and send it to the Returning Officer by post or by messenger so as to reach him or the person authorised by him before 5.00 p.m. on the day before the poll.
