Section 30 in The Orissa Panchayat Samiti Election Rules, 1991
30. Procedure for counting of votes.
(1)After close of the polling in the polling station, the Presiding Officer shall proceed to take up the counting of the votes polled in the presence of the candidates or their Polling Agents, if any, present at the polling station.(2)Each vote cast by the voters shall be scrutinised by the Presiding Officer in the course of counting and a vote shall be invalid for counting on one or more of the following grounds, namely :(i)If it bears any mark or writing by which the voter can be identified;(ii)If it does not bear the mark specified under Rule 18;(iii)If votes are recorded in favour of more than one candidate;(iv)If the mark indicating the vote is placed in such a manner so as to make it doubtful as to the candidates in whose favour the same has cast;(v)If the ballot paper is spurious;(vi)If the ballot paper is so damaged or mutilated that its genuineness cannot be established;(vii)If the ballot paper does not bear the authentication mark of the Presiding officer as specified by Sub-rule (3) of Rule 15.(3)The Presiding officer shall record the reason (a) for rejecting the ballot paper on the ballot paper itself and sign the same.(4)The result of the counting of the ballot papers in respect of the candidates of the Samiti shall be recorded in Form No. 13.
