Section 93: Postal ballot

93. Postal ballot.— (1) The following persons may cast their votes by postal ballot in such manner as may be prescribed— (a) a person referred to in sub-sections (2) or (3) of section 27; (b) a person appointed by the Returning Officer, including police personnel, for the performance of any duty in connection with an election at polling station other than the one at which he is entitled to cast his vote; (c) a person with any physical disability who is unable to travel and holds a National Identity Card with a logo for physical disability issued by the (d) a person detained in a prison or held in custody. (2) A voter who, being entitled to do so, intends to cast his vote by postal ballot shall— (a) in the case of a person referred to in clause (a) 1[, clause (c) and clause (d)] of sub-section (1), within such time as may be specified by the Commission soon after the issuance of the Election Programme; and (b) in the case of a person referred to in clause (b) of sub-section (1), within three days of his appointment; apply to the Returning Officer of the constituency in which he is a voter for a ballot paper for voting by postal ballot; and every such application shall specify the name of the voter, his address and his serial number in the electoral roll. (3) The Returning Officer shall upon receipt of an application by a voter under sub-section (2) send by post to such voter a ballot paper and an envelope bearing on its face a form of certificate of posting, showing the date thereof, to be filled in by the proper official of the Post Office at the time of posting by the voter 1[:] 1[Provided that the date of receipt of the application shall be entered thereon by the Returning Officer and application received after the date mentioned in sub-section (2) shall not be entertained.] 1[(3A) After sending ballot papers to all the entitled applicants, the Returning Officer shall place all the counterfoils of the said ballot papers in one or more packets and sign and seal the same, noting on each packet the number contained therein.] (4) A voter on receiving his ballot paper for voting by postal ballot shall record his vote in the prescribed manner and, after so recording, post the ballot paper to the Returning Officer in the envelope sent to him under subsection (3), so as to reach the Returning Officer before the 1[polling day].

Effective date: 2017-10-02

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