WHAT VOTERS SHALL KNOW
Every person who has attained the age of 18 years and above and whose name appears in the Panchayat Voter List or Municipal Electoral Rolls relating to a Ward or Territorial Constituency of a Panchayati Raj Institution or Urban Local Body, shall subject to other provisions, be entitled to vote at an election which takes place for that Ward/Territorial Constituency of Panchayati Raj Institution or Urban Local Bodies, as the case may be and the person whose name does not appear shall not vote at such elections.
In Haryana State, all the territorial constituencies of Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads, Municipal Committees, Municipal Councils and Municipal Corporation, are single member constituencies. Beside this, Chairperson of only one office of the Local Body i.e. Sarpanch of a Gram Panchayat is elected by direct election and the Chairpersons of all other Local Bodies i.e. Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads, Municipal Committees, Municipal Councils and Municipal Corporation are elected by indirect elections by or from amongst the elected members of these Local Bodies. Therefore, for an election to a Ward of a Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad, the voter has to cast his vote for only one candidate as these are single member constituencies.
In every election a voter shall cast his vote in person and maintain secrecy of voting. Impersonation in voting is a cognizable offence.
No person shall vote for an election for the office of Panch and Sarpanch of a Gram Panchayat or Member of Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad, if he fails to fulfill the any qualifications mentioned in Section 173 of the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994. Similarly, for the elections to office of a Member of Municipal Committee or Municipal Council or a Member of Municipal Corporation, the disqualification of the voters has been listed in Rule 5 of the Haryana Municipal Election Rules, 1978 and Rule 5 of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Election Rules, 1994.
No person shall vote in more than one constituency not withstanding his name may have been registered in the electoral roll of more than one constituency and if a person votes in more than one constituency his votes in all such constituencies shall be void.
No person shall at any election vote in the same constituency more than once, notwithstanding that his name might have been registered in the electoral roll for that constituency shall be void.
No person shall vote at any election if he is confined in a prison, whether under a sentence of imprisonment or otherwise or is in lawful custody of the police.
If the Presiding Officer is satisfied that owing to blindness or other physical infirmity or elector is unable to recognize the symbols on the ballot paper or unable to mark there on without assistance he shall permit such electoral to take a companion of not less than 18 years of age to the voting compartment for recording vote on the ballot paper on his behalf and in accordance with his wishes. However, no person shall be allowed to act as companion for more than one elector.
Any Polling agent may challenge the identity of a person claiming to be a particular elector by first depositing a sum of Rs.2/- in cash with the Presiding Officer, if after enquiry the Presiding Officer considers that the challenge had not been established he shall allow the person challenged to vote.
If a person representing himself to be a particular elector applied for a ballot paper, after another person has already votes as such elector he shall on satisfactory answering such questions relating to his identity, the Presiding Officer may allow to mark a ballot paper. This vote is termed as tendered vote.
An elector who has inadvertently dealt with his ballot paper in such manner that it cannot be conveniently used as a ballot paper may on returning it to the Presiding Officer and on satisfying him of the inadvertence be given another ballot paper. If any electoral after obtaining a ballot paper decides not to use it, he shall return it to the Presiding Officer.
The elections to the office of Panches and Sarpanches of Gram Panchayats are be held by ballot on non-party basis and the election will be held on free symbols notified separately for these two offices. But the elections to office of Member of Panchayat Samiti, Zila Parishad, Municipal Committee, Municipal Council and Municipal Corporation, shall be held on party basis. The symbols for the National Parties and State Level Party/Parties recognized and registered with Election Commission of India and have been reserved. For independent candidate free symbols for the elections to Member of Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad and Member of Municipal Committees, Municipal Councils and Municipal Corporation have been notified.
