By-election
An election held in a particular
riding to fill a vacancy in the Vidhan Sabha at any other time than during
a general election.
Candidate
A person who seeks to be elected
to public office. A candidate running in a Vidhan Sabha election or by-election
is trying to be elected a member of legislative assembly.
Candidate's agent
A candidate's representative who
may be present during the voting and during the counting of the ballots
(also "scrutineer").
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO)
The independent officer of Parliament
responsible for conducting elections.
Elector
A person who is eligible to vote
because he or she is an Indian citizen and at least 18 years old and registered
to vote.
Assembly Constituency
A geographical area represented
by a member of the Legislative Assembly.
Franchise
The right to vote.
General election
An election held simultaneously
in almost every constituency in India.
Polling day
The day people go to vote.
Polling station
The place where electors go to vote.
Register of Electors
A list of electors prepared and
maintained by Election Commission. It includes the name, father's name,
address, date of birth and gender of every eligible elector.
Returning officer (RO)
The election official responsible
for organizing the electoral event in each riding.
Scrutineer
See Candidate's agent
Special ballot
A ballot that can be sent in by
mail, or filled in at the returning office, for those electors who can't
go to their polling station. The elector must first apply to Election Commission
for registration. The special ballot differs from a regular ballot in that
the elector writes in the name of his or her preferred candidate.
Voters list
(List of electors) the list of names
and addresses of all eligible electors in a polling division which is used
at the polling station on voting day.
Writ of election
The document that instructs the
returning officer in a constituency to conduct an election on a specific
date; returned, signed by the returning officer, with the voting result,
to the Chief Electoral Officer after the election.