Question

Who is the in-charge of the ‘Voter Register’ at polling station during polling in India?
1. The first Polling Officer
2. The second Polling Officer
3. The third Polling Officer
4. The Presiding Officer

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 1 : The first Polling Officer

Polling stations are a fundamental unit of elections.

• Polling stations are the unit to which individual voters are assigned for election day.
• More specifically, voters are usually placed on the registration list for a specific polling station.
• As the place where voters are assigned to vote, polling stations are the building blocks for the casting and counting of votes. 

•  First Polling Officer
  • The first Polling Officer is in charge of the marked copy of the electoral roll and for identifying electors.
  • When an elector enters the polling station, he/she will proceed directly to this officer.
  • The voter can proceed further only after the First Polling Officer is satisfied with the identity of the voter.
  • The officer has to ensure that electors produce EPIC or any of the other identification documents as specified by the EC.
• Second Polling Officer
  • The Second Polling Officer handles the indelible ink.
  • After the voter has been identified, the second Polling Officer inspects the voter’s forefinger on the left hand to see that there is no trace of indelible ink.
  • The officer then applies the indelible ink on the voter’s left-hand forefinger as a line with the help of a brush from the top end of the nail to the bottom of the first joint of the finger.
• Third Polling Officer
  • ​The third Polling Officer is in charge of the control unit of the electronic voting machine (EVM).
  • He/she is seated on the same table as the second Polling Officer and allows the elector to proceed to the voting compartment on the basis of the voter's slip issued.
  • He/she also ensures that the indelible ink is intact on the elector’s forefinger before letting him/her go into the voting compartment.
• Presiding Officer
  • ​The Presiding Officer is responsible for setting up the Polling Station and conducts a mock poll before the polling commences.
  • He/she has to ensure that voting compartments are properly arranged and cables connecting balloting units and VVPATs to their respective Control Units are clearly visible.
  • The Presiding Officer is also responsible for ensuring the polling begins and ends at the fixed time and that there is no delay.
  • He/she should also keep an eye on voters, making sure no one goes away without voting.
  • He/she also has to periodically check that ballot units and VVPATs have not been tampered with.
  • The officer also seals the EVMs and election records and hands them over to the Returning Officer at the reception center.

Thus, we can say that the First Polling Officer is the in-charge of the ‘Voter Register’ at polling station during polling in India.