Section 453

(1) Where the number of valid nominations does not exceed the number of persons to be elected, the Election Officer shall declare them to have been duly elected only after the date of poll : Provided that where the number of valid nominations for any particular constituency is equal to the number of persons to be elected from that constituency and in other constituencies the number of valid nominations exceeds the number of persons to be elected, the Election Officer shall declare the result of that constituency which receives the nominations equal to the number of persons to be elected after the poll is taken in other constituencies. (2) Where the number of valid nominations exceeds the number of persons to be elected, the Election Officer shall arrange for the polling on the date fixed. (3) Every voter shall be given a ballot paper, either printed, typewritten or cyclostyled or hand written, according to the instructions of the Registrar, containing hand-written/stamped names of contesting candidates arranged in Hindi alphabetical order with their respective symbol pasted, printed, stretched with ink or stamped against their respective names. It shall also contain a blank column for the voter to inscribe a mark (x) against the name or names of persons to whom he wants to vote. (4) The ballot paper shall be serially numbered and shall also bear the seal of the society and initials of the Election Officer/Polling Officer of the concerned polling station. (5) The voting shall be by secret ballot, the voter shall put a cross mark (x) against the name of candidate for whom he desires to vote and then put the ballot-paper into the ballot-box with secrecy. (6) Every voter shall have as many votes as there are persons to be elected but no voter shall give more than one vote to any one candidate. (7) Any contesting candidate or his authorised agent may challenge the identity of the voter before the issue of the ballot-paper on payment of fee of Rs. 5 for each challenge to the election Officer. (8) The Election Officer shall make a summary enquiry of the challenge and if after such enquiry, he is of the opinion that the challenge is not established, he shall give to the person challenged a ballot-paper which shall be endorsed on the back with the words "Challenged Vote" by the Election officer in his own hand-writing and signed by him. (9) Every such person shall before being supplied with ballot paper under Sub-rule (3) sign his name of affix his thumb impression, if the is illiterate, against the entry relating to him in a list in the specified form. (10) On receipt of ballot-paper under Sub-rule (8) the person concerned shall record his vote on ballot- paper by putting a cross-mark (x) against the name of candidate for whom he wants to vote with secrecy and hand over the ballot paper to Election Officer who shall forthwith place it in a cover specially kept for the purpose. (11) If a person representing himself to be particular voter named in the voters' list applies for a ballot- paper after another person has already voted as such voter, he shall, on satisfying his identity to the election Officer, be supplied with a ballot-paper which shall be endorsed on the back with the words "tendered ballot-paper" by the Election Officer in his own handwriting and signed by him. (12) Every such person shall before being supplied with a tendered ballot-paper, sign his name or affix his thumb-impression, if the is illiterate, against the entry relating to him in a list in the specified form. (13) On receipt of ballot-paper under Sub-rule (11), the person shall record his vote on the tendered ballot- paper by putting a cross mark (x) against the name of candidate for whom he wants to vote with secrecy and handover the tendered ballot-paper to the Election Officer who shall forthwith place it in a cover specially kept for the purpose.