Section 53: Presiding Officers and Polling Officers

53. Presiding Officers and Polling Officers.— (1) A Returning Officer shall, in the prescribed manner, appoint for each polling station a Presiding Officer and such number of Assistant Presiding Officers and Polling Officers from amongst the officers of any Government or corporations, autonomous or semi-autonomous bodies controlled by any Government to assist the Presiding Officer as the Returning Officer may consider necessary. (2) The Returning Officer shall not appoint a person as a Presiding Officer, Assistant Presiding Officer or Polling Officer who is or has, at any time, been in the employment of a candidate. (3) The Returning Officer shall, at least thirty days before the polling day, submit to the District Returning Officer for approval a list of such Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers and Polling Officers including reserved staff as may be determined by the Commission, and no change in the list shall be made thereafter save in exceptional circumstances, for reasons to be recorded, and with the approval of the Commission. (4) In case of non-availability of any member of polling staff, the Returning Officer shall appoint a substitute from amongst the reserved staff as approved by the District Returning Officer.

Effective date: 2017-10-02

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