Gandhinagar, October 8 (Daily Kiran) : In Gandhinagar, the State Election Commission (SEC) has clarified that polling staff assigned to the upcoming local body elections will be considered on duty until they complete the process of returning election materials. This ruling comes ahead of elections scheduled for October 11, with vote counting set for October 13.
The SEC emphasized that even if the return of materials extends into the following day, staff will still be regarded as on duty. This announcement pertains to elections for the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, as well as for the municipalities of Okha and Thara, which also involve seven vacant seats across various local bodies.
According to the election schedule, nominations will be reviewed on September 28, and candidates may withdraw their nominations on September 29. The entire election process is expected to conclude by October 15.
Typically, polling staff head to receiving centers to submit voting materials after the polls close. Depending on the distance between polling stations and receiving centers, this process may continue late into the night or into the next morning.
In light of this, the SEC has determined that staff unable to report to their original offices the day after voting due to their responsibilities will not be required to do so. Instead, they will remain engaged in completing their election duties and formally submitting the voting materials at designated receiving centers.
The upcoming elections will cover 44 seats across 11 wards in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation. The SEC has indicated that over 2,000 staff members will be involved in the election process, with voting conducted using electronic voting machines.
This clarification aims to address concerns regarding the duty status of polling staff whose responsibilities extend beyond the official voting day, especially when the return of election materials may carry over to the next day.
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