Section 21B(9) in Andhra Pradesh Co-Operative Societies Rules, 1964
(9)Voting and Declaration of Results. - [(a) If the number of the candidates whose nominations are valid does not exceed the number of vacancies to be filled by election, the election officer shall declare them to have been duly elected as managing committee members on the date and time on which the final list of valid nominations are published. If for any area or constituency for which election is to be held, the number of candidates whose nomination papers have been declared valid, does not exceed the number of candidates to be elected for that area or constituency the Election Officer shall forthwith declare them to have been duly elected. The term of the office of such candidate shall be reckoned from the date of declaration of elections as notified by the election officer in Form-I or publication of final results by the election officer. If the number of candidates, whose nominations are valid exceeds the number to be elected for any area or constituency, the election officer shall arrange for conducting a poll at the place on the date and time and at the place fixed for the purpose.] [Substituted by G.O.Ms. No. 223, A&C (Coop. IV), dated 27-6-2005.](b)A candidate contesting the election, may, by a letter to the election officer, appoint an agent to represent him where polling is held. Request for appointing agents shall be made in Form-IX. The agent as well as the candidates shall be given a pass, which will authorize the candidate and the agent to enter polling booth and counting centre. The pass for the agent will be valid for the booth allotted to him and he is prohibited to move from booth to booth or canvassing within 200 mts of the premises where the booth is located. On the date of polling where polling is held in more than one booth a candidate will be permitted to appoint his agent to be present in the booth to assist the polling officer in identification of voters. Such an agent will not be allowed to move from one booth to the other and such an agent shall display his pass on his person during his presence in the booth. The candidate and his agent, if any, shall always display their pass on the person during the entire process of election.(c)Canvassing of votes by any person on the date of poll at the place where elections are to be conducted shall be prohibited. The Election Officer shall determine the limits 200 mts. or more from the booth for prohibiting canvassing as per the public exigency and law and order situation and announce it or get it announced before commencement of the poll.(d)The requirement of number of booths and number of voters allotted to each booth be determined by the competent election authority.(e)Election Officer may appoint as many officers to conduct the poll as necessary but there shall be one presiding officer and two polling officers per booth such that(i)One Polling Officer will identify and verify the voters list.(ii)One Polling Officer will apply indelible ink on the middle finger of the left hand [or as directed by the Registrar as the case may be] [Inserted by G.O.Ms. No. 356, A&C (Coop. IV), dated 5-9-2005.] and issue Ballot Paper to the voter.The Presiding Officer shall conduct all the proceedings at the booth, i.e., preparing and sealing of boxes, custody and maintaining records at the booth, as well as safety of election material, i.e., ballot paper and boxes after polling and ballot boxes till they are delivered to the Election Officer.(f)A booth shall contain a separate compartment or compartments in which the voters can record their votes in secrecy. The voter after affixing his vote shall put into the ballot box which shall be so placed to be under the constant attention of the Presiding Officer.(g)Immediately before the commencement of the poll, the election presiding officer shall show the empty ballot box to such persons as may be present at the time and shall then lock it up and affix his seal in such manner as to prevent its being opened without breaking the seal. The candidate or his agent may also affix, his signature on the seal, if he so desires.(h)Every voter who desires to exercise his right of vote shall be supplied with a ballot paper, which may be either printed, typed or cyclostyled. The ballot paper shall bear the seal of the society and also the [signature of the Presiding Officer] [Substituted for 'signature of the Election Officer' by G.O.Ms. No. 356, A&C (Coop. IV), dated 5-9-2005.]. The ballot paper shall be in form-VIII as appended to these rules;(i)Every voter who desires to exercise his vote shall be allowed to do so on proof of his identity such as photo identity card, given to him by the society. If the Polling officer is satisfied about the identity of the member with reference to eligible list of voters and if there is no objection from any candidate or his polling agent present at the polling station, he shall direct the member to put his signature or thumb impression in the election attendance register kept for this purpose at booth and then he shall issue a ballot paper to him. On receipt of such ballot paper, the voter shall proceed to the polling compartment set apart for the purpose and affix the [Swastik Mark] [Substituted for 'mark X' by G.O.Ms. No. 356, A&C (Coop. IV), dated 5-9-2005.] against the person or persons in whose favour he exercises his vote by inscribing or affixing a [Swastik Mark] [Substituted for 'mark X' by G.O.Ms. No. 356, A&C (Coop. IV), dated 5-9-2005.]; in the space provided in the ballot paper [against the symbol] [Substituted for 'against the name' by G.O.Ms. No. 356, A&C (Coop. IV), dated 5-9-2005.] of the candidate or candidates, as the case may be, and then fold the ballot paper and put the ballot paper in the ballot box kept for the purpose ensuring with utmost secrecy. If owing to blindness or other physical infirmity or a voter is unable to inscribe the mark on the ballot paper, the presiding officer, and where no such presiding officer is appointed, the election officer shall ascertain in secrecy from him the candidate or candidates, in whose favour he desires to vote, inscribe the [Swastik Mark] [Substituted for 'mark X' by G.O.Ms. No. 356, A&C (Coop. IV), dated 5-9-2005.]; on his behalf and put the ballot paper in the ballot box.(j)(i)Every voter, whose name is entered in the list of voters/delegates eligible to vote, furnished to the polling officer, is entitled to cast his vote, unless there is a successful challenge by the candidate or his agent against his identity. If there is any challenge regarding the identity of the voter such a voter or if the polling officer feels any reasonable doubt, he shall bring the matter to the notice of the election officer or presiding officer who shall make a summary enquiry and decide the question with reference to the books of the society.(ii)The Election Officer [/Presiding Officer] [Inserted by G.O.Ms. No. 223, A&C (Coop. IV), dated 27-6-2005.] shall not entertain any challenge by a candidate or his polling agent, of a voters identity until the person who challenges pays a fee of Rs.10/- (Rupees Ten only) in cash for each challenge at the time of making a challenge. If challenge is made, the Election Officer or Presiding Officer shall entertain the challenge and ask the member who has come to vote to affix his thumb impression or signature, as the case may be on a declaration form describing his identity in the form as at Form-X(A). If the voter refused to do so, he shall not be allowed to vote. On making of the declaration, the election officer or presiding officer shall conduct summary enquiry, as a result of such summary enquiry, the identity of the voter is established to the satisfaction of the election officer or presiding officer, he shall direct the polling officer to issue ballot paper on entering his decision in Form-X(A) and the voter then shall be allowed to vote. If challenge is successful the fees paid shall be refunded. At the end of the poll, the Election Officer [/Presiding Officer] [Inserted by G.O.Ms. No. 223, A&C (Coop. IV), dated 27-6-2005.], shall render an account of challenge fees collected, fees refunded to the persons who challenged and the fees forfeited to the society.Tendered Ballot Paper. -(iii)If a person representing himself to be a particular voter applies for a ballot paper, and it is found that another person has already voted as that particular voter, the Presiding Officer [/Election Officer] [Inserted by G.O.Ms. No. 223, A&C (Coop. IV), dated 27-6-2005.] may put such questions relating to his identity and if he is satisfied as to the identity of the voter, then such person will be entitled to receive the ballot paper after signing his name against the entry relating to him in a Form-X (B). This will be called a tendered ballot paper. The tendered ballot paper shall be serially the last in the bundle of the Ballot Papers issued for use at the polling station. The Presiding Officer z[/Election Officer) shall endorse on the back of ballot paper with his own hand writing with words "Tendered Ballot Paper" and then sign. The voter may then mark the tendered ballot paper in the voting compartment and the ballot paper shall be given to the Presiding Officer [/Election Officer] [Inserted by G.O.Ms. No. 223, A&C (Coop. IV), dated 27-6-2005.] who shall place it in a cover specially kept for the purpose.(iv)If at any stage of the polling, the proceedings are interrupted obstructed by any riot or affray or if at such election it is not possible to take poll for any sufficient cause, the election officer shall have power to stop the polling, after recording his reasons for such an action. The Election authority shall fix date and time for repolling.(k)No voter shall be admitted after the hour fixed for the polling, but a voter who enters the premises where ballot papers are being issued before the close of the polling hour shall be issued a ballot paper and allowed to vote. After completion of poll the Presiding Officer shall furnish the Ballot paper Account in Form-XI to the Election Officer.(l)The counting of votes shall take place immediately after close of the poll at the polling booth itself If however there are more than one polling station or where polling booths are at different locations, then at the end of poll the ballot boxes shall be brought to a common counting center and counting shall take place on the next day. In such cases sealed ballot boxes shall be brought to the counting centre by the presiding officer and-deposited in the safe custody. The election-officer shall then announce to the candidates or their agents present, the time and place at which the counting shall commence next day. Votes shall be counted by or under the supervision of the election officer. Each candidate and his authorised agent shall have a right to be present at the time of counting. But the absence of any candidate or his agent at the time of the counting shall not vitiate counting or announcement of result by the election officer. If for any reason it is not possible to commence or continue the conduct of the counting of votes, the Election Officer shall fix another appropriate date, time and place for counting.
