{"id":3203,"date":"2026-10-02T14:16:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T08:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/?p=3203"},"modified":"2026-10-02T14:16:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T08:46:40","slug":"how-to-vote-in-legislative-council-graduate-constituency-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/?p=3203","title":{"rendered":"How to Vote in Legislative Council Graduate Constituency Election"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Voters must mark preferences on ballot paper using only the violet sketch pen provided by polling officials<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>PUNE :<\/strong> The voting process for the Legislative Council election is different from that followed in other general elections conducted by the Election Commission of India. Voters in the Graduate Constituency election will cast their votes on a ballot paper by indicating their preferences against candidates\u2019 names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Returning Officer and Divisional Commissioner Sheetal Teli-Ugle has appealed to voters, particularly those voting for the first time, to understand the procedure and ensure that their ballot papers are marked correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to cast your vote<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voters must use only the violet sketch pen provided by the polling officials. Use of any other pen, pencil or writing instrument can make the ballot paper invalid. The voter must mark <strong>\u20181\u2019<\/strong> against the name of the candidate who is the first preference. The number 1 must be marked against only one candidate. Voters can indicate further preferences by marking 2, 3, 4 and so on against other candidates according to their choice. Giving second or subsequent preferences is optional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The preference numbers can be written in international numerals such as 1, 2, 3, Roman numerals, Devanagari numerals or numerals used in any of the languages recognised under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voters must not write their name, initials, signature, any words or thumb impression on the ballot paper. Symbols such as a tick (\u221a) or cross (X) are also not valid for indicating preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ballots that may be declared invalid<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A ballot paper may be rejected if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The number 1 is not marked.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 is marked against more than one candidate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The marking of 1 creates doubt about the candidate selected.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More than one preference number is marked against the same candidate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Preferences are written in words instead of numerals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Any mark or writing identifies the voter.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A writing instrument other than the violet sketch pen provided by the election authorities is used.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PUNE : The voting process for the Legislative Council election is different from that followed in other general elections conducted<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3204,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[57,64],"class_list":["post-3203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pune","tag-maharashtra","tag-pune"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1-150x150.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1-300x181.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1.jpg","large":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1.jpg","colormag-highlighted-post":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1-392x272.jpg","colormag-featured-post-medium":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1-390x205.jpg","colormag-featured-post-small":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1-130x90.jpg","colormag-featured-image":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1.jpg","colormag-default-news":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1-150x150.jpg","colormag-featured-image-large":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"Editor","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1d5153bc4b578f38328e6ec4367b899f9035bc845d2933bfe4a714a364de8dbd?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":false,"magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"PUNE : The voting process for the Legislative Council election is different from that followed in other general elections conducted","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["Pune"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":21,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":2,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1.jpg",558,337,false],"medium":["https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1-300x181.jpg",300,181,true],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Election-Commission_Preview1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"Editor","author_link":"https:\/\/theleadernews.in\/?author=3"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1d5153bc4b578f38328e6ec4367b899f9035bc845d2933bfe4a714a364de8dbd?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-32\">Pune<\/a>","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - 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