DISQUALIFICATIONS. - PERSONATION.
8. Section 24 of the Ballot Act, 1872, shall be amended by the addition of the words "or Presiding Officer" after the words "Returning Officer."
Where a Returning Officer or Presiding Officer shall have instituted a prosecution against any person under that section, such Returning Officer or Presiding Officer shall not be liable for any damages or acts arising out of such prosecution so long as the person is convicted or the Court certifies that the Returning Officer or Presiding Officer had reasonable grounds for the instituting of such prosecution.
The term of imprisonment provided for under the said Section 24 and in Section 6, sub-section (2) Corrupt Practices Prevention Act of 1883 shall be for one year and shall include hard labour.
9. It shall be the duty of the Returning Officer on the day following the delivery of nomination papers to cause a certificate to be issued to each person in the form shown in the Schedule hereto. Such certificate may be sent by registered post, with such safeguard as he may find it necessary to adopt, or as regulations may enforce. Any registered elector not having received such certificate may apply in person to the Returning Officer for the issue of a duplicate, and on satisfying the Returning Officer that he is the elector mentioned a duplicate may be issued endorsed to that effect. The list of such duplicate certificates shall be given to the Presiding Officer. A Ballot Paper may not be delivered to a voter, except on production of such certificate, and the production of such certificate to a Presiding Officer shall be deemed for that purpose to be an application for a Ballot Paper. Provided that the elector shall acknowledge the receipt of such certificate, such receipt to be signed by him and received by the Returning Officer not later than 48 hours before the time at which polling shall begin; and that the Presiding Officer may, if he think fit, or if he be required to do so by the personation agent of any candidate cause the voter to sign his or her name for comparison with such receipt before voting. Such certificate shall be retained by the Returning Officer and transmitted in the same manner as the counterfoils of the ballot papers, and a fresh certificate issued for each election.