Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh, May 1 –
Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal said that ensuring elections are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner remains the foremost objective of the Election Commission, Haryana Chief Electoral Office, and the District Administration. This can only be achieved when all officers/officials present at the polling booth discharge their duties with unwavering dedication and honesty. These officials must ready themselves both physically and mentally for the electoral process. The Lok Sabha general elections provide us with a valuable opportunity to demonstrate improvement and find personal satisfaction in our endeavours.
Anurag Agarwal said that following the handling of election materials, the Presiding Officer should promptly proceed to their assigned booth and conduct a thorough inspection. Inside the booth, there should be no photographs of any politicians; if any kind of images are present, they should be covered or relocated. Additionally, the placement of the EVM machine within the polling station should be such that it is positioned away from windows to ensure the secrecy of voting. It is imperative that each voter personally presses the EVM button themselves. Any queries from voters should be addressed by the polling party members stationed at the booth, and no other individuals should approach the EVM alongside the voter.
He said that the Presiding Officer must ensure that voting commences promptly at seven in the morning, necessitating the mock poll process to begin at 5:30 in the morning. The voting process will continue until 6 pm. In the event that some voters are still in line at this time, slip numbers should be distributed to those queued behind, starting from slip number one until the last person, to prevent further queuing. Officials should go to the booth and get the candidate’s polling agent forms filled on the very first day. Form number 10 will be utilized for this purpose.