During elections, people who do not cast their vote for various reasons despite their names being in the electoral rolls worry if somebody else votes on their behalf.
To avoid impersonation by people who want to vote in place of an elector who is absent, or has shifted from the locality, or who has died, Telangana State Election Commission has instructed Deputy Commissioners and Returning officers to prepare a list of Absentee, Shifted, and Duplicate or Dead (ASD) electors according to each polling station. Presiding Officers should be provided with the list.
The Commission’s secretary M Ashok Kumar has issued a circular which details the procedure that needs to be followed if anyone from the list turns up to cast vote. When such a voter produces EPIC or other photo document permitted by the Commission for his or her identification, the presiding officer shall personally verify the identification document, ask polling agents about the identity, and the details of the documents should be registered by the polling officer concerned on the counterfoil of the ballot paper.
“Thumb impression of such electors shall also be obtained in addition to signature against the column ‘Signature/thumb impression’ of the counterfoil of the ballot paper. The thumb impression shall be in addition to the signature even in the case of an elector who is literate and can sign,” the Commission’s secretary said. A record of such voters has to be maintained which should be submitted to the returning officer.
He further said that wherever possible, such electors have to be photographed, and the record has to be maintained.
