SERVICE VOTERS AND CLASSIFIED SERVICE VOTER

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VOTE IS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY OF  EVERY CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTRY

SEE THAT EVERY ELIGIBLE CITIZEN IS REGISTERED AS A VOTER

SPREAD THIS MESSAGE AND STRENGTHEN THE DEMOCRACY

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Guidelines for Service Voters

Who is a Service Voter ?

1. Those who are serving in the Armed Forces of the Union of India
2. Those serving in a Force to which the Army Act 1950 applies viz Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF, ITBF, GREF in Border Road Organisation , Central Industrial Security Force etc.
3. Those who are employed under Govt of India and posted outside India
4. Members of an Armed Force of a State and serving outside the State

Registration in the Electoral Roll

First step : Enroll as a service voter

• Find out the name of your Constituency and Part in the District/ State of your Residence
• Fill Two copies of Form 2 for Armed Forces or Form 2A for Armed Police Forces or Form 3 for Govt officials serving abroad
• Fill the Declaration Form and submit to the Record Office or the Nodal Office
• Wife of a Service Voter can be enrolled in the same Part on the basis of declaration made by her husband in the form and no separate declaration is required from her

Note : Wife of a Service Voter, if she is ordinarily residing with him, shall also be eligible to be enrolled in the part meant for Service Voters in the constituency concerned*

(* This facility is not available to the husband of a female service voter under the existing law)

Step Two : How to fill the Ballot Paper

• when there is an election in your constituency, Returning Officer will send Two envelopes, Declaration form , instruction slip along with the ballot paper
• Record your vote clearly marking ' X ' or ' _/ ' in the ballot paper opposite the name of the candidate of you choice. Your vote will be invalid if you do not mark your choice clearly.
• Do not put your signature or any mark or sign other than the Tick or X mark on the ballot paper.
• After marking your vote put the ballot paper in the small cover marked ' A ' sent with the ballot paper. Close the cover and secure it with seal or otherwise. 
• Sign the declaration Form 13A in the presence of of an officer appointed by the Commanding Officer of the Unit. Do not forget to mention the serial number of the ballot paper in the declaration form.
• The Officer will attest your signature in the declaration form. Do not disclose the choice of your vote to the attesting officer. 
• Place the declaration form and the smaller cover in the larger   cover marked ' B ' which contains the address of the Returning Officer
• Put your full signature on the cover marked 'B' in the place meant for the signature . The serial number of the Ballot paper to be mentioned on the smaller Envelope (Form 13B) in the space meant for if not already mentioned by the Returning Officer.
• After closing the larger cover send it to the Returning Officer by post or messenger.
• No postage stamp need be affixed on the envelope. please note that the cover containing Ballot paper and declaration should reach the Returning Officer before the time fixed for counting of the votes which would be mentioned in the instruction sheet. 

*Remember not to place the declaration Form 13A inside the smaller envelope which is meant only for keeping the marked ballot paper. The declaration along with the smaller envelope should be kept in the larger envelope 

Your vote shall  be invalid if -

1. if you vote for more than one candidate
2. If your mark of vote does not clearly indicate your choice 
3. If you mark in between two names
4. If you mark anything other than the mark of vote or sign or signature on the ballot paper
5. If the cover is not properly sealed or pasted
6. If the declaration in Form 13A is not found on opening the larger envelope
7. If the declaration in Form 13A is not signed and attested by the competent Officer

WHO IS CLASSIFIED SERVICE VOTER

Once you are registered as a Service Voter, you can nominate a person to vote on your behalf. In other words you can opt for voting through a proxy. A service voter who  opts for voting through a proxy is called classified Service voter. 

Procedure for voting through Proxy :

1. Fill Form 13F and get it attested by the Commanding Officer and send it to the proxy for his/her signature before a Notary.first class Magistrate
2. Proxy has to submit the Form to the concerned Returning Officer
3. Application for appointment of proxy should reach the Returning Officer before the last date for filing nomination papers by the political candidates (approximately 16 days before the poll day)
4. Proxy can be any ordinary resident of that particular constituency, may not be a registered voter but must not be disqualified to be an elector.
5. Once appointed as proxy will continue until his/her appointment is revoked by you ( service voter)
6. Proxy can be changed or you can revert back to postal ballot by filling Form 13G and submitting to Returning Officer.
7. Proxy appointed by you has to vote physically  in your native constituency in the polling station

Note : for downloading the requisite forms visit www.eci.nic.in

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