handbook for presiding officers - Chief Electoral Officer, Govt. of Sikkim

the Polling Officer of his duty and responsibility of satisfying himself about the
identity of such voter.)
291.3. Usually, each voter brings with him an unofficial identity slip, which might have
been issued to him by a contesting candidate or his agents. This slip will be
on a plain white paper and may contain the name of the elector, his serial
number in the electoral roll, part number of the electoral roll and the number
and name of the polling station where he is to cast his vote. The slip ordinarily
should not contain the name of the contesting candidate and/or the name of
the party and/or the facsimile of symbol allotted to him (as that would amount
to campaigning). If you come across any such slip, which has been issued by
a contesting candidate or his party in violation of these instructions of the
Commission and has been brought to the polling station by any elector, you
should bring it to the notice of the polling agent of the candidate concerned
forthwith for putting an immediate end to such violation.
1.4 The ‘unofficial identity slip’ which an elector brings to the polling station, only
serves th purpose of locating the entries relating to an elector in the electoral
roll, it cannot be automatically taken for granted that the person producing the
slip is that particular voter. Further, an illiterate voter cannot read the entries in
the unofficial identity slip and satisfy himself that the slip held by him/her
actually relates to him/her. Therefore, the first Polling Officer should simply
take the slip and read out only the Serial Number of the entry of the elector in
the electoral roll and not read out his/her name and other particulars from the
slip. Thereafter, the Polling Officer should ask the person to tell his/her name
and if necessary other particulars relating to the entry so as to ensure that
he/she is the genuine voter producing the identity slip. If any person is found
to be impersonator, the Presiding Officer should hand him over to the police.
1.5 In case there are large number of women electors especially ‘pardanashin’
(burqa clad) women, a woman Polling Officer may be appointed to carry out
the above duties in a separate enclosure as instructed in Chapter VI.
2. List of dead, absent and allegedly bogus voters.
It is expected that polling agents may bring with them a copy of the list of the
names of dead, absent and allegedly bogus voters. The contesting candidate
or his party may supply similar list to you. If any person claims to be an
elector, whose name is mentioned in that lists you shall check that person’s
identity rigorously with the help of his electoral photo identity card (EPIC) or
one of the alternative documents of identification specifically permitted by the
Commission. This will not amount to a formal challenge.
3. Challenged votes
The polling agents can also challenge the identity of a person claiming to be a
particular elector by depositing a sum of Rs.2 (Rupees two only) in cash with
you for each such challenge. You shall hold a summary inquiry into the
challenge. If after the inquiry you consider that the challenge has not been
established, you shall allow the person challenged to vote. If you consider that
the challenge has been established, you shall debar the person challenged
from voting and shall handover such person to the police with a written
complaint.