Attempts to cast multiple votes or impersonate another voter during the Assembly elections on Tuesday will attract stern action, election officials warned on Monday.
Such offences are punishable with imprisonment up to one year or a fine, or both, under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, they said.
To prevent bogus voting, the polling station-wise lists of Absent, Shifted, Dead/Duplicate (ASD) have been provided to presiding officers and the candidates.
As part of a standard operating procedure to prevent malpractices, presiding officers will snap photographs of all ASD voters identified in the polling booths on their mobile phones. Polling officials shall also obtain a declaration from all the ASD voters.
Moreover, voters in the ASD category are required to provide their thumb impression, in addition to their signature. Voters will be allowed to exercise their franchise only after the indelible ink on their finger is fully dried.
Disposing of a petition by Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, the Kerala High Court had directed election officials to take necessary steps to prevent multiple voting by electors during the Assembly polls. On March 30, the Election Commission of India had informed the court that it had identified 38,586 DSEs.
