The Ballot boxes shall be closed, sealed and secured and placed in full view of the Presiding officer and Polling Agents, provided that only one box shall be used at a time for an election.

(1)Voting shall be by secret ballot and every elector wishing to record his vote shall do so in person by means of a ballot paper specified by the Election Commission to be supplied to a voter which shall have a serial number, names of the Candidates and such symbols as are allotted to the Candidates, such

other particulars of the candidate and such officials marks as may be specified by the Commission. Every

elector shall be entitled to cast single non-transferable vote :

Provided that a voter who are eligible to participate in such election and in service shall be

entitled to vote by post. The following persons shall, subject to their fulfilling the requirements specified

below, be entitled to vote by post, namely:- a)Voters having service qualification defined in Sec. 20(3) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1950 and one entered in its last para of the relevant Electoral Roll; b)Voters on election duty; c)Electors subject to the preventive detentions; and d)Any other electors as may be specified by the Election Commission in this

behalf. The Voter who want to vote at a Panchayat Election may send, a request

in writing to the Returning Officer concerned of their intention in Form VII for the supply of postal Ballot paper, and such applications should reach the Returning Officer five days before the date of poll. (2)A postal ballot paper shall be sent by post under certificate of posting to the Elector by the concerned Returning Officer five days before the date of actual poll to voters who apply for the same. The elector will mark the ballot paper as per instructions of the Commission as per his choice and return the same in sealed cover to the Returning Officer so that the postal ballot paper reaches the Returning Officer on or before the commencement of counting of votes. (3)The Returning officer shall also make a mention thereof on the relevant marked copy of the Electoral Roll which relates to the service voters. (4)Returning Officer will then keep the Ballot papers so received in a separate packet which shall be open at the time of counting and scrutinize these in accordance with instructions given by the

Commission. The votes secured by each candidate shall be added in the result sheet at the end at the time

of counting.