P. Sureshkumar, a voter from Vadavalli, was in for a shock when he went to cast his vote at a government school.
The presiding officer of booth 22A said he had voted. Shocked, he asked for proof. “I couldn’t believe that my vote was cast and I was standing there, in front of the officer to vote,” he said.
After arguments with the officials, Mr. Sureshkumar found that somebody had signed against him but the identity document of the person who cast his vote was not him. And the signature wasn't his.
“After I told the presiding officer that the signature wasn’t mine, I was asked to prove that it wasn’t mine and I had to furnish my PAN card.”
By then it had become clear that another voter, his namesake, who was supposed to vote in booth 22 had cast his vote in booth 22A.
A supervising official, who was present there, suggested that Mr. Sureshkumar can vote in booth 22.
But that didn't happen because the presiding officer there refused to allow him to vote.
As he began wondering what to do or how to take up the matter with the Election Commission of India, another senior supervising official reached the school to inquire into the matter.
After checking with the namesake by calling him over phone and checking credentials, the officer let him cast his vote, Mr. Sureshkumar said.
Booth 22A officials admitted that the mistake was theirs because they checked the voter's name but not the EPIC card number or photograph.
