Tamil Nadu State Local BodyElections

Conduct of Elections

1. Preparation and Publication of electoral roll

              The electoral roll of the local body shall be the same as the current Electoral Roll of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Constituency
pertaining to the area of the Local Body concerned. Electoral Rolls shall be prepared by the Electoral Registration Officers as per the instructions
issued by the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission.

Anybody wishing to raise a claim for inclusion of name in the roll or any objection in respect of any entry in the roll so published, shall submit a
proper claim or objection under the provisions of Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 to the Electoral Registration Officer of the concerned
Legislative Assembly Constituency. Based on the order of Electoral Registration Officer of the Assembly Constituency on such claim and objection,
the Electoral Registration Officer of the local body shall amend the relevant portion of the local body electoral roll incorporating the changes by
issuing an amendment to the relevant part of the local body electoral roll.

Such inclusions, corrections and deletions can be carried out up to the last date fixed for making nomination for the local body elections. The
electoral roll shall be printed and published by the Electoral Registration Officer in accordance with the instructions of the Tamil Nadu State
Election Commission.

Two copies of Local Body Electoral roll will be supplied to the recognised political parties free of cost. Saleable copies will be available at the office
of the Local Body Electoral Registration Officer.

2. Provision of Polling Station

              Adequate number of polling stations for the voters of the area to exercise their franchise will be provided by the Returning Officer. The list of
polling stations attached to each polling area will be prepared and published by the Returning Officer after obtaining the approval of the District
Election Officers/District Collectors as per the directions of the State Election Commission.  
 
3. Publication of election Notification by Tamil Nadu State Election Commission

For the purposes of conducting elections to fill up ordinary and casual vacancies which are to be filled up by direct elections, the Tamil Nadu State
Election Commission publishes one or more notification calling upon the electors of such wards/local bodies to elect ward members/Chairpersons as
the case may be, of the respective local body on such date or dates as may be specified therein.

Based on the election notification issued by the State Election Commission the Returning Officer shall publish election notice (programme of
election) in the notice board of the office of the Returning Officer and in two or more conspicuous places in the respective wards of the local bodies.

Filing of Nomination:

Citizens who have completed 21 years of age and whose name appears in the electoral roll of the concerned local body.

He should be an elector of that particular ward for the election in which he signs as a proposer to a candidate. In case of election for the office of a President/Chair Person, the proposer
should be an elector of that particular local body.

4. Timing:

              The nominations will be received in the offices specified in the election notice between 10.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. on all the working days
during the period fixed for filing of nominations.

5. Nomination Form:
Tamil Nadu State Local BodyElections
              The nomination forms will be made available by the Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer to the candidates on payment.

6.Who can file?

              Nomination paper shall be presented by the candidate or his proposer and nobody else.

7.Deposits:

              A candidate shall not be deemed to be duly nominated for election unless at the time of delivery of nomination paper he deposits the
prescribed deposit amount or causes to be deposited with the Returning Officer in cash, or enclose with the nomination paper a receipt showing that
the sum prescribed has been deposited by him or on his behalf in the respective local body.

Deposit Amount Rs.

For candidates other than SC or For candidates belonging to

RURAL LOCAL BODY
ST SC or ST

a) For election of Member of Village Panchayat Ward 200 100

b) For election of President of Village   Panchayat 600 300

c) For election of Member of Panchayat Union Ward 600 300

d) For election of Member of District Panchayat 1000 500

Deposit Amount Rs.

For candidates other For candidates belonging to

URBAN LOCAL BODY
than SC or ST SC or ST

a) For election of Member of Town Panchayat Ward 500 250

b) For election of Councillor of Municipality Ward 1000 500

c) For election of Councillor of Corporation Ward 2000 1000

8.  Filing of Affidavit on Assets, Liabilities, Educational Qualifications and  Criminal antecedents along with Nomination:

                            Tamil Nadu State Election Commission has implemented the Electors’ Right to Information about the candidate from the ordinary
elections to Local Bodies 2006, based on the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India on the electors’ right to information on assets,
liabilities, educational qualifications and criminal antecedents of the contesting candidates.

              Every candidate at the time of filing nomination paper for any election of any Panchayat / Municipalities shall file an Affidavit in Form 3-A
duly sworn before a Magistrate of the first class or a Notary Public or a Commissioner of Oaths appointed by the High Court of the State containing
full and complete information of his assets, liabilities, educational qualifications and criminal antecedents.

              In the case of an elector to a Ward Member of a Village Panchayat, it is sufficient, if the candidate furnishes the information in the
prescribed format, in the form of a declaration before the Returning Officer.

9. Declaration by Candidates, in case of SC / ST:

              If the seat is reserved for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe, a candidate shall furnish a declaration, in the nomination form made by him
to specify the particular caste or tribe of which he/she is a member and the area in relation to which that caste or tribe is notified as Scheduled caste
or Scheduled Tribe of the State.
 Tamil Nadu State Local BodyElections
10. Scrutiny: 

                On the date and hour notified, the Returning Officer shall take up the scrutiny of nominations at such place fixed for scrutiny.    The
candidate, one of his proposers and one other person duly authorised by him, but no other person can attend the scrutiny.    The Returning Officer
shall give them all reasonable facilities for examining the nomination papers of all the candidates.  Returning Officer will scrutinise the
nominations in accordance with the Rule provisions. The scrutiny of nomination is a Quasi-judicial function. There is no appeal against the decision
of the Returning Officer in regard to validity or rejection of a nomination and his decision can be questioned only by an election petition filed before
the competent court after the elections are completed.

11. Withdrawal of Nomination:

A validly nominated candidate may withdraw his candidature by giving a notice signed by him in Form-7 to the Returning Officer/Assistant
Returning Officer before 3.00 p.m. of the last date fixed for such withdrawal.

 The Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer shall record    the date and the time of the filing of Form-7.

 The withdrawal  notice shall be delivered to the Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer either by the candidate in person or by
his proposer who should have been authorised in writing by such candidate to present the notice of withdrawal on his behalf.

 The candidate shall give his notice of withdrawal only after the scrutiny of nomination papers of all candidates is over or till the last date
fixed for withdrawal.

 A candidate validly withdrawn his candidature cannot be allowed to cancel such withdrawal and he shall not continue as a candidate

12. Final List of Contesting Candidates:             

Immediately after 3.00 p.m. on the last day fixed for withdrawal of candidature the Returning Officer/Assistant Returning Officer shall draw a list of
contesting candidates in alphabetical order in vernacular language  along with the distinguished  symbols in Form-9 allotted to each candidate. 
This form will contain the names of candidates whose nomination papers are found to be valid and who have not withdrawn their candidature within
the period.

The ballot papers will be printed by the Returning Officer, based on the instructions issued by the State Election Commission.    The names of the contesting candidates with their distinctive symbols will be
on the ballot paper in the same order as it appears in Form-9. The color of Ballot Paper used for various elections are given below :

Elections

Election of a Ward Member / Councillor of Town Panchayat, Municipality and Corporation

Election of a Ward Member of Village Panchayat

Election of President of Village Panchayat

Election of a member of a Panchayat Union

Election of a member of a District Panchayat

e of non-party elections the ballot paper will contain only the symbols and not the names of the candidates.
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ctronic Voting Machines:

Section 43D of the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920, the relevant sections in the Municipal Corporation Acts and the relevant rules in the Tamil Nadu Town Panchayats, Third Grade
palities, Municipalities and Corporation (Elections) Rules, 2006, envisage the statutory backing for the use of Electronic Voting Machines in Urban Local Body elections.

The poll will take place at the polling station provided for this purpose on the date and time notified by Tamil Nadu State Election Commission. 

The ballot papers will be delivered to the elector after obtaining his signature in the counterfoil.

Voting by an elector should be exercised by the elector in person at the polling station and no vote shall be received by proxy.

The counting of votes shall take place on the day at the place as specified in the election notice by the Returning Officer.

The votes shall be counted by or under the supervision and direction of the Returning Officer.

Each contesting candidate, his election agent and such number of his counting agent as specified by the State Election Commission shall have the right to be present at the time of counting.

On completion of counting the Returning Officer will declare the candidate who has secured largest number of valid votes as has been duly elected.

After Declaration the Returning Officer shall give such candidate a certificate of election in Form 25, Form 26 and Form 27 after obtaining a due acknowledgement.

In the case of uncontested election after the hour fixed for withdrawal of candidatures the Returning Officer will declare that lone candidate to have been duly elected and issue certificate of election in Form

umption of office by the elected candidates after the Ordinary Elections:

The Returning Officer will make necessary arrangements for convening the meeting on the dates published in the Election Notification for assumption of office by the elected candidates.

The election for the office of the Chairman / Vice-Chairman of Panchayat Union and District Panchayat and the Vice-President of Village Panchayats and the Mayor / Deputy Mayor
an of the Urban Local Bodies will be conducted by the Returning Officer immediately after assumption of office by the elected candidates at the hour fixed for this purpose.

ction of members/Chairman of various Standing and Statutory Committees  :

turning Officer will convene the meeting for indirect elections of members/Chairman of various Standing and Statutory Committees on the date fixed by the State Election Commission.