EC relaxes polling agent rule, says they only need to be voters in constituency

In some places, smaller parties were finding it hard to get polling agents who are enrolled as electors from the same polling station

The Election Commission has relaxed a 2009 rule that required polling agents selected by candidates to be registered voters in the same polling station or at the most, the adjoining polling station, according to an order issued by the poll panel on Thursday. The new provision, which gives candidates a free hand to appoint polling agents, only requires candidates to ensure that the polling agent is a registered voter in the assembly seat.

The 2009 rule ) (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

“ ...based on the inputs and for the convenience of the candidates, the commission had directed that if any contesting candidate is not able to find polling agent in the same polling station or neighbouring polling station, he/she may appoint any elector of the same assembly constituency as their polling agent for their polling station,” the EC communication said.

Polling agents are authorised representatives of candidates at polling stations, who keep a watch on the polling process and are empowered to file complaints with the booth’s presiding officer if they suspect anyone trying to impersonate a voter. Government employees are not allowed to act as polling agents.

The rules allow a candidate to appoint one polling agency and two relief polling agents at each station.

The new order will give candidates and parties the freedom to appoint a polling agent from anywhere in the constituency, thus offering them a wider choice, said a person aware of the details.

Several political parties had told the Election Commission that they were finding it difficult to find polling agents who were registered as voters in the area covered by the same polling station, particularly given that the number of polling stations had been increased to avoid overcrowding at booths in context of the Covid pandemic, the person cited above said.

In some places, smaller parties were finding it hard to get polling agents who are enrolled as electors from the same polling booth. It is also possible that in some areas where there is political violence, the electors in the immediate area may not want to be seen as polling agents. In such a case, getting voters from other parts of the assembly constituency as polling agents will be feasible, said a second political functionary.