According to a press note issued by the poll body, the notification for the 17th Vice Presidential election will be issued on August 9. The last date for filing nominations is August 19, with the scrutiny on August 22, ECI said, adding that the deadline for the withdrawal of candidatures is August 25.

The vacancy in the Office of the Vice President arose due to the abrupt resignation by Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 21, citing health grounds. In his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu, Dhankhar said, “To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution.”

As per the provisions of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952, and the Constitution, the poll body is required to fill the vacancy as soon as possible.

The electoral college for the election comprises 788 members of both Houses of Parliament, including 233 elected and 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha and 543 elected members of the Lok Sabha. At present, six seats are vacant — five in the Rajya Sabha and one in the Lok Sabha — bringing the current strength of the electoral college to 782.

Polling, if necessary, will take place at Room No. F-101, Vasudha, on the first floor of the Parliament building on September 9 from 10am to 5pm. Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody has been appointed as the Returning Officer (RO) for the election, with two Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) to assist him.

The poll body reiterated that voting would be conducted by secret ballot and electors must mark their preferences using a special pen provided at the polling booth. “Voting by using any other pen shall lead to invalidation of the vote at the time of counting,” ECI said.

Political parties are prohibited from issuing a whip to their members for this election and any violation of secrecy or improper voting procedure will result in cancellation of the ballot. “There is no concept of open voting in this election and showing the ballot to anyone under any circumstances is totally prohibited,” the commission said.