Section 17 in The Orissa District Planning Committees Rules, 2000
17. Voting Procedure.
(1)The Presiding Officer shall not allow any unauthorised person to enter the polling station. Besides the voters, only the candidates, their election agents and the public servants on duty in connection with the election shall be admitted to the polling station at any time. The Presiding Officer shall also regulate movement of the voters for peaceful conduct of poll.(2)The Presiding Officer shall, immediately before the poll, satisfy all persons present that the ballot box is empty and then close the box, affix the seal and secure the box and keep it in full view of all present in the room.(3)The Presiding Officer shall sign every ballot paper on the backside before it is issued to the voters. No ballot paper shall be issued to any voter except within the hours of poll.(4)One voter shall be issued one ballot paper. If a voter inadvertently and without any malafide intention tears or damages a ballot paper, a second ballot paper may be issued to the voter on satisfaction of the Presiding Officer. The torn or damaged ballot paper, shall be recovered, cancelled and kept in record.(5)Every voter shall have only one vote at an election irrespective of the number of seats to be filled up and a voter while recording his vote.(a)shall place on his ballot paper the figure 1 in the space opposite the name of the candidate for whom he wishes to vote in the first instance; and(b)may, in addition, place on his ballot paper the figure 2 and such other consecutive figures not exceeding the total number of members to be elected as he may like in the order of his preference.Explanation - The figures in this sub-rule may be recorded in English or Oriya numerals but shall not be indicated in words.(6)At the time of issuing a ballot paper to a voter, the Presiding Officer shall -(a)record on its counterfoil the name of the voter;(b)obtain the signature or thumb impression of the voter on the counterfoil; and(c)mark the name of the voter in the list of voters to indicate that a ballot paper has been issued to him, without recording therein the serial number of the ballot paper issued to him;Provided that no ballot paper shall be delivered to a voter unless he has put his signature or thumb impression on the counterfoil.(7)The voter, on receiving the ballot paper, shall proceed to the voting compartment, mark the ballot paper by ink in accordance with sub-rule (5), fold the ballot paper so as to conceal his vote and the serial number of the ballot paper and insert it into the ballot box.
