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| Distribution Center |
Let me brief it:
1. Every 5 years, elections are conducted to decide the governments at state (Assembly) and Central (Parliament) through vote.
2. A party should be registered with Election Commission of India (EC) to contest in elections.
3. A party is recognized only when it secures minimum limit of voting.
4. Political parties decide list of candidates for each assembly and each constituency under it.
5. Electronic Voting Machines and Control Units and other materials are prepared.
6. Each EVM can accommodate 16 candidates list (2014 elections had NOTA option: None of the above). If for a constituency the candidates are more then multiple EVMs are prepared and attached to a single CU.
7. Allotment of people to carry out the elections at each polling station is chalked out. Usually government employees, school teachers, bank employees are given the election duty.
8. They will be trained about the duties as per the role given. The roles are given related to their current work designation.
9. A day before the Election Day, the allotted people collect the material at a distribution center and by evening reach their respective polling stations and setup everything.
10. A typical polling station functions with the following:
a. Presiding officer: IN charge and point of contact for the polling station. Is responsible for handover of EVMs and other materials at the end.
b. Assistant Presiding officer: Like the Vice Captain
c. Polling officer: Could be 4 or 5 people.
d. Polling Agents: These are the persons posted by the party candidates who also have the list of voters in that polling station.
11. Usually polling time is from 7 AM to 6 PM. Between 6 AM to 7 AM, mock voting is done to test the EVM and CU in the presence of polling agents and then sealed off.
a. A person coming to cast his vote should get the voter slip along with an identification card.
b. Polling officer1 marks the name in the voter list. The same thing is done by the polling agents to validate the person.
c. Polling officer2 makes a note of the identification card number and makes a mark on the finger.
d. Polling officer3 issues voter slips (one for Assembly and One for Parliament).
e. Polling officer 4 and 5 press the button ‘Ballot’ on the CU and only then the EVM can register the vote casted by the person
12. Every 2 hours, the number of polled votes are reported by Presiding Officer to the Returning Officer.
13. At 6 PM, the voting is closed and the CU along with EVMs are sealed in the presence of polling agents before taking the total count from the CU.
14. All the material is packed and is to be submitted at a reception center common to the Assembly constituency.
15. The allotted people at the polling station have the postal ballot facility because they will not cast their vote due to the allotment of election duty.
P.S: April 30th was the Election day for us in Hyderabad and I was posted at Polling Station# 47, Grama Panchayat Office, Bandlagudajagir village (10 KMs from my home). I went to the distribution center – Sri Venkateshwara Veternary University, Rajendranagar - on the day before at 10.30 AM and collected the 3G dongle (BSNL), Logitech Web Cam and a DVD.
-- Had lunch and returned home by 3 PM.
-- Went to polling station at 7 PM, verified the setup and came back home by 9 PM.
-- Reached polling station at 5.45 AM and got the setup done by 6:00 AM
-- Was given 2 idlis and 1 Wada as breakfast.
-- Mock polling started at 6.40 AM and ended at 7.20 AM. I started the web streaming from 6.40 AM.
-- Had lunch at 12.30 PM
-- Cool drink at 3 PM
-- Closed web streaming at 6. 10 PM and reached the reception center – Gachibowli indoor sports stadium by 7 PM and waited 1 and half an hour to submit the material.
-- Reached home by 9.30 PM
Got 750 /- as the remuneration amount..!!
Good job
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