Section 59: Polling stations

59. Polling stations. — (1) Within one week after appointment of Returning Officers, the Commission shall provide, in the prescribed format, a list of proposed polling stations for each constituency to the Returning Officer of that constituency indicating the electoral areas assigned to each polling station and publish the list on its website. (2) The Commission shall, as far as practicable, retain the polling stations established for the preceding election but it may add to or alter the list as may be required to reduce the distance preferably to one kilometer between a polling station and the voters assigned to it. (3) As far as practicable, not more than twelve hundred voters shall be assigned to a polling station and not more than three hundred voters shall be assigned to a polling booth, and reasons for any deviation shall be recorded in writing. (4) Within fifteen days of the receipt of the list of polling stations, the Returning Officer— (a) shall personally verify the proposed polling stations; (b) may add to or alter the list as he may deem necessary; and (c) shall publish outside his office the preliminary list of polling stations, inviting objections and suggestions, if any, to be filed within twenty-one days of its publication. 1[(5) Objections and suggestions may be filed with the District Returning Officer__ (a) by a candidate, with regard to any polling station in his constituency; and (b) by a voter, with regard only to the polling station to which he has been assigned.] (6) The District Returning Officer may, after hearing the objections or considering the suggestions, if any filed with him and making such summary enquiry as he may deem necessary, make alterations in the list of polling stations as may be required and shall, at least thirty days before the polling day, publish in the official Gazette and on the website of the Commission the final list of polling stations of each constituency in the district. (7) The Commission shall determine the date or dates required for completion of the actions mentioned in this section. (8) The District Returning Officer shall not make any change in the final list of polling stations published in the official Gazette, save in very exceptional circumstances, for reasons to be recorded, with the prior approval of the Commission 1[not later than five days before polling and a copy of such change shall be transmitted to the candidates immediately without loss of any time] and after notice to the candidates. (9) The Returning Officer shall establish in each constituency polling stations according to the final list published under sub-section (6). (10) A polling station shall be situated in any Government building in the constituency and, where no Government building is available, a polling station may be established in a building owned by a private educational institution registered with the concerned education authorities or an improvised polling station shall be set up on a public property. (11) A polling station shall not be located in any premises which belongs to or is under the direct or indirect control of a candidate 1[or a political party]. (12) While finalizing the list of polling stations of a constituency, if the District Returning Officer declares a polling station as highly sensitive, the Commission may, in addition to appropriate security measures as may be taken, install or direct any Government to install a surveillance camera in each polling booth of such polling station to record poll proceedings, counting of vote process and preparation of results by the Presiding Officer.

Effective date: 2017-10-02

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