ULB elections: Strict entry rules for polling stations

DIMAPUR — The Nagaland State Election Commission has issued directives outlining strict protocols for entry and conduct within polling stations during the municipal and town council elections.

It stated that the presiding officer should admit into the polling station only the electors, polling officials, and public servants on duty in connection with the election, according to a DIPR report.

Such persons may include election observers, deputy commissioners, sector magistrates or officers, or other government officials on election duty. Persons authorised by the commission will be required to produce an authority letter or entry pass on demand.

Each candidate, their election agent and polling agent at a time, a child in arms accompanying an elector, a person accompanying a blind or infirm elector who cannot move without help, and persons the returning officer or the presiding officer may employ under Rule 46(2) or Rule 47 can also be admitted.

Further, under Rule 46(2), if the assistance of a woman becomes necessary to assist women electors or to help in conducting a search on any woman elector, the presiding officer may entrust a female polling official, if on duty, or another woman with her consent from among the women electors present at that time to perform the role.

Under Rule 47, to help in the identification of electors or to assist the presiding officer if the situation demands it during the poll, the presiding officer may seek the assistance of the concerned ward or colony.

The GBs are also permitted to enter the polling stations.

It clarified that the expression “public servants on duty” does not include ministers, MPs, state ministers, and deputy ministers of the Centre or states, including advisors and MLAs of states. They are not allowed to be appointed as election agents or polling agents, as they must be escorted by their security guards, who cannot be allowed entry into the polling station.

The expression “public servants on duty” also does not include police officers. Such officers, whether in uniform or plain clothes, should not, as a general rule, be allowed into a polling station unless the presiding officer decides to call them inside in unavoidable circumstances for the maintenance of law and order or a similar purpose.

The returning officers have been asked to issue identity cards to the contesting candidates bearing their photographs. If the situation demands it, the presiding officer may ask for its production.

Similarly, the polling agents of the candidate can be asked to produce their identity card, which is an attested copy of their appointment letter. The attestation is to be made by the returning officer.

No security personnel accompanying any candidate, agent, or elector should be permitted to enter the polling station.

It further said that under Rule 46 of the Nagaland Municipal Election Rules 2023, there should be a separate queue for male and female voters to be admitted alternately in separate batches.

The presiding officer should regulate the admission of voters inside the polling station in such a manner that there is no crowding. Voters such as persons with disabilities (PwDs), senior voters (75 years and older), blind and infirm voters, and women voters with babies in arms should be given precedence over other voters in the queue.

In cases of unavoidable necessity, the presiding officer may take the assistance of the woman assistant as provided under Rule 46(2), including the MTS polling official specified in 1 above, to help PwD voters in wheelchairs and blind and infirm voters who, in addition to the companion as provided for under Rule 57(1), require assistance to enter the polling station.

However, besides the companion accompanying such blind or infirm voters who has fulfilled the conditions for assisting such voters as provided under the rule, no other person shall be allowed to enter the voting compartment with them.

It mentioned that, subject to the maintenance of peace and order, there is no objection to media persons taking photographs of the crowd of voters lining up outside the polling station.

However, no one, including the publicity officials of the state government, should be allowed inside the polling station without a letter of authority or entry pass from the State Election Commission.

Under no circumstances will media persons take photographs of the proceedings inside the polling station, go near the voting compartment, violate the secrecy of voting, or conduct interviews with the polling personnel. It added that necessary information should be disseminated to all the presiding officers concerned for compliance.