Section 13 in The Maharashtra Specified Co-operative Societies Elections to Committees Rules, 1971
13. Appointment of Presiding Officers and Polling Officers.
(1)Returning Officer shall appoint a presiding officer for each polling station and such polling officer or officers as he thinks necessary, but shall not appoint any person who has been employed by or on behalf of or has been otherwise working for. a candidate in or about the election :Provided that, if a polling officer is absent from the polling station, the presiding officer may appoint any person who is present at the polling station, other than a person who has been employed by or on behalf of or has been otherwise Working for a candidate in or about the election, to be the polling officer during absence of the former officer and inform the Returning Officer accordingly.(2)A polling officer shall, if so directed by the presiding officer, perform all or any of the functions of a presiding officer under the Act or any of the rules and bye-laws made thereunder.(3)If the presiding officer, owing to illness or other unavoidable cause, is obliged to absent himself from the polling station, his functions shall be performed by such polling officer as has been previously authorised by the presiding officer, to perform such functions during any such absence.
