Section 54: Duties of election officials

54. Duties of election officials.— (1) A Returning Officer shall do all such acts and things as may be necessary for effective conduct of the poll in accordance with the provisions of this Act, the Rules and directions of the Commission. (2) An Assistant Returning Officer shall assist the Returning Officer in the performance of his functions under this Act and may, subject to any condition imposed by the Commission and the control of the Returning Officer, exercise the powers and perform the functions of the Returning Officer. (3) A Presiding Officer shall conduct the poll in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the Rules and shall be responsible for maintaining order at the polling station and shall report to the Returning Officer any fact or incident which may affect the conduct or fairness of the poll. (4) During the course of the poll, the Presiding Officer may entrust any of his functions to an Assistant Presiding Officer and the Assistant Presiding Officer shall perform the functions so entrusted to him. (5) The Returning Officer shall authorize one of the Assistant Presiding Officers to act in place of the Presiding Officer if the Presiding Officer is, at any time during the poll, by reason of illness or other cause, not present at the polling station, or is unable to perform his functions. (6) The Returning Officer may, at any time during the poll, for reasons to be recorded, suspend any Presiding Officer, Assistant Presiding Officer or Polling Officer, and make such alternate arrangements as he may consider necessary for the performance of the functions of the officer so suspended, whose matter shall be referred to the Commission for initiation of disciplinary proceedings.

Effective date: 2017-10-02

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