EC issues voting instructions for Presidential Election

New Delhi, July 8 (UNI) The Election Commission today issued instructions allowing all the Members of Parliament to cast their votes during the July 19 Presidential Election at any place of poll set up at the State Headquarters for the purpose.

Also, the MLAs of any State can cast their votes at the place of poll set up at the Parliament House during the election, a statement issued here said.

As a normal practice, the EC does not extend the facilities of casting votes by any MLA at any place of poll other than his own State or at Parliament House, since it is very difficult to send the ballot papers of all the states to every other State, it said.

The ballot paper in respect of every state is different from each other, it added.

However, there may be extreme cases where some MLAs may be forced to remain away from their own State on the day of the election due to compelling and justifiable reasons and may not be able to cast their vote either at their own State Headquarter or at Parliament House.

In order to enable such MLAs to cast vote during the coming Presidential election, the EC has decided, in exceptional cases, to allow the MLAs of any State to cast their votes at any State Headquarter other than their own if they apply for the Commission's permission well in advance that is 96 hours before the commencement of poll, with full justification in order to enable the Commission to send ballot papers of his State to the place where he intends to vote on July 19, 2007, so that the Presiding Officer is able to issue the same to him during the poll.

All the Assistant Returning Officers, who are normally the Secretaries of the State Legislative Assemblies, have been requested to intimate the electors of their States in writing about this decision of the Commission for availing the facility by the intending elector.

UNI