Elections are conducted according to the constitutional provisions, supplemented by laws made by Parliament. The major laws are Representation of the People Act, 1950, which mainly deals with the preparation and revision of electoral rolls, the Representation of the People Act, 1951 which deals, in detail, with all aspects of conduct of elections and post election disputes.
Collector & District Election Officer is the overall controlling authority of all the elections in the district. He/She is the Returning Officer for Parliamentary Constituency, and officers not below the rank of Deputy Collectors are designated as Returning Officers for Legislative Assembly Constituencies. Generally Returning Officers for Legislative Assembly Constituencies are designated as Assistant Returning Officer for Parliamentary Constituency election.
For conducting Lok Sabha Election the Collector is usually appointed as Returning Officer, and Deputy Collectors are appointed as Asst. Returning Officers to assist the Collector.
For conducting election of Legislative Assembly, Collector is over all controlling authority as a District Election Officer and Deputy Collector & Sub Divisional Officers are appointed as Returning Officer for each Legislative Assembly Constituencies.
Key Functions
- Issuance of Photo-identity cards to voters.
- Corrections pertaining to Identity cards.
- Making of duplicate photo I.D cards.
- Issuance of attested copies of Electoral Rolls on demand to public.
- Maintain the record regarding elections.
- Responsible for the up-keep and maintenance of Ballot Boxes, Electronic voting machines and steel trunks.
- Maintaining previous record of Electoral Rolls.
- Stationary depot where stationary pertaining to the elections is printed.
- To efficiently conduct the election to the Assembly Constituency of which he is the Returning Officer.
- To accept and scrutinize the nomination forms of the candidates.
- To allot the election symbols to the contesting candidates.
- To publish the notice regarding the election.
- To prepare a list of contesting candidates.
- Printing of ballot papers and to forward the postal ballots to the service electors.
- Deputing the polling officers to the polling booths with the election materials.
- To supervise the functions of the polling officers in his Assembly Constituency on the day of poll and forward the necessary report to the Election Commission of India and the Chief Electoral Officer.
- To get the polling completed during the election in a fair and just manner and as per the statutory provisions.