Voter Registration

India is one of the largest democratic countries in the world, constituting millions of people. Given the diversity that the country withstands, there are countless political parties that have been fashioned in every part. Elections are an intricate affair in India and also quite an essential aspect of democracy. Elections in India are conducted once in five years. As accountable citizens, we have a duty to put our right to vote to good use with good judgement. But with a populace as large as ours, it is never easy. There were numerous incidents of electoral frauds and to make this fraud-free and a smooth process, the Election Commission of India has initiated the system of Voter ID cards.

A Voter ID Card is also known as an Elector’s Photo Identity Card. This card is issued to all eligible voters who apply for it. A Voter ID card is necessary to cast your vote in the elections of your constituency, state and country. When you successfully apply for a Voter ID card, you will be listed in the electoral rolls. The electoral roll is a list of all eligible people who can vote. Registration for your Voter ID is simple, and there are different avenues to apply.

Who can apply

All eligible citizens of India who have attained the age of 18 on the qualifying date can apply for a Voter ID card. There are three categories of applicants:

• General Resident Electors
• Overseas/NRI Electors
• Service Electors

How to Apply for Voter ID Card for different categories

General Elector: Apply for voter ID card Online for Resident Indians

General Electors are ordinary citizens of India who are residing in the country. You should be at least 18 years old on the qualifying date of January 1st.

Obtaining the right form

• Visit the official website of the Election Commission.
• Click on “National Voter’s Service Portal”. You will be redirected to the NSVP website.
• Click on “Apply online for registration of new voter”
• Form 6 will open up for you to fill in.

Filling and submitting Form 6

• You can choose your preferred language from Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Oriya, Hindi, English, Punjabi, Tamil, Telegu, and Urdu.

• Select your State and your Assembly/Parliamentary Constituency.
• Enter your details that includes:
  • Name
  • Age and Date of birth
  • Details of place of birth
  • Father's/Mother's/ Husband's Name
  • Address
  • Contact details
  • Details of family members who are already enrolled.
• Any field marked with an asterisk is a mandatory field and has to be filled in.
• You can then upload supporting documents:
  • A recent colored passport sized photo
  • Scanned copy of proof of residence
  • Scanned copy of proof of age/identity
• Enter your place and date of filling in the form.
• You can save your filled form and continue at a later time. If you’ve completed your form, you can click on “Submit”.

Post Submission Procedure

• Your form will be displayed on the notice board of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) inviting objections. If any objection needs to be made by anyone, they have a one-week window.
• After this period, an order will be given to include your name in the electoral roll.
• In case of any objections, then the ERO or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) will hear the applicant and the objector’s cases.
• You will receive notice of whether your name has been included in the Electoral Roll or not by post and SMS on the number you provide.
• Electoral Rolls can be viewed on the state’s Chief Electoral Officer’s website.

General Elector: Apply for voter ID card Offline for Resident Indians

Obtaining the right form

• You can obtain an application form from the Electoral Registration Officer or the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer of your constituency, or the Booth Level Officers of your polling station. The form is free of any charges.
• You can also download the form from the website of the Election Commission.

Filling and submitting Form 6

• Fill in the application form and submit it along with the supporting documents to the Electoral Registration Officer or the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer of your constituency, or the Booth Level Officers of your polling station.
• You can also send it by post, addressed to the Electoral Registration Officer or the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer of your constituency. The postal address is available on the Election Commission website of the respective state or union territory.
• Supporting documents needed are:
  • A recent passport sized colored photo duly affixed on the form in the space provided.
  • Copy of proof of residence
  • Copy of proof of age/identity

Post Submission Procedure

• The Booth Level Officer might be sent to visit your residence to verify your address.
• Your form will be displayed on the notice board of the ERO inviting objections. If any objection needs to be made by anyone, they have a one-week window.
• After this period, an order will be given to include your name in the electoral roll.
• In case of any objections, then the ERO or Assistant ERO will hear the applicant and the objector’s cases.
• You will receive notice of whether your name has been included in the Electoral Roll or not by post and SMS on the number you provide.
• Electoral Rolls can be viewed on the state’s Chief Electoral Officer’s website.

NRI Electors: Voter ID cards for Non Resident Indians(NRIs)

For NRIs, the option has been made available to apply even in your absence from India. As long as you do not have citizenship in any other country, you can apply. You should be a citizen of India and should have attained the age of 18 on the qualifying date.

Obtaining the right form

• You need Form 6A for NRI applications. The form can be found online on the official website of the Election Commission. Click on “National Voter’s Service Portal”. You will be redirected to the NSVP website. Click on “Apply online for registration of new voter”. Form 6A will open up for you to fill in. You can choose your preferred language from Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Oriya, Hindi, English, Punjabi, Tamil, Telegu, and Urdu.
• Alternatively, you can download a form from the website of the Chief Electoral Officer of your respective state. The form is also available on the Election Commission website.
• The form is available at the Indian Missions in foreign countries for free.
• You can also request a family member to obtain Form 6A from the polling station and send it to you.

Filling and submitting Form 6A

• Select your State and your Assembly/Parliamentary Constituency.
• Enter your details that includes:
  • Name
  • Age and Date of birth
  • Details of place of birth
  • Father's/Mother's/ Husband's Name
  • Residence in India
  • Contact details
  • Passport details
  • Visa details
  • Details of reason and time of absence from the country
  • Current residential address outside India
  • Current address of employment/education
  • Any field marked with an asterisk is a mandatory field and has to be filled in.
• For online submissions, you can then upload supporting documents:
  • A recent colored passport sized photo
  • Valid pages of your passport showing your photograph, Indian address and all other relevant particulars.
• Enter your place and date of filling in the form.
• You can save your filled form and continue at a later time. If you’ve completed your form, you can click on “Submit”.
• For online and offline submissions, you need to post a copy of the form, duly signed, along with self-attested documents to the Electoral Registration Officer or the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer of your constituency. The postal address is available on the Election Commission website of the respective state or union territory.
• If you are in India, you can submit this to the Electoral Registration Officer or the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer in person. You need to produce your original passport for verification.

Post Submission Procedure

• The Booth Level Officer might verify your details with your family members or neighbors.
• Your form will be displayed on the notice board inviting objections. If any objections need to be made by anyone, they have a one-week window.
• After this period, an order will be given to include your name in the electoral roll.
• In case of any objections, then the ERO or Assistant ERO will hear the applicant and the objector’s cases. The ERO will designate an officer from the Indian Mission in your country of residence. This officer will hear you out. If the objector is present, then the cases of both parties will be heard. The Indian Mission officer will send a report to the ERO.
• You will receive notice of whether your name has been included in the Electoral Roll or not by post and SMS on the number you provide.
• Electoral Rolls can be viewed on the state’s Chief Electoral Officer’s website.

Service Electors: Know how Government Employees can Apply for Voter ID Card

A service elector is a citizen of India who qualifies to vote under the service category. Service electors are not present in their ordinary residence as they have been posted for service or employment elsewhere. The following members constitute service electors:

• Members of the Central Armed Forces.
• Members of a force which falls under the provisions of the Army Act, 1950.
• Members of State Armed Police Forces, serving outside the respective state.
• A person employed and posted outside India under the Government of India.

Obtaining the Right Form

There are four forms available according to the category of the service applicant. The forms are available on the website of the Election Commission of India.

Form 2	For members of Armed Forces
Form 2A	For members of State Armed Police Forces, serving outside the respective state.
Form 3	A person employed and posted outside India under the Government of India.
Form 6	For eligible service electors who have opted to apply for a Voter ID as a general voter in his place of posting, instead of his ordinary residence.

Filling and Submitting the Form

• Revision and updation of the electoral rolls for service voters are held twice a year under orders from the Election Commission.
• The ECI will send notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs.
• The Programme will be announced, and then eligible service voters can fill in the form and submit it.
• For Form 2, Form 2A and Form 3, the application form can be handed over to the officer in charge of the record office.
• For people employed and posted outside India under the Government of India, the form can be submitted to the nodal authority of the Ministry of External Affairs.
• For Form 2 and Form 2A, a declaration in the prescribed format must be submitted stating that the applicant has not been enrolled as a general elector in any other constituency.

Post Submission Procedure

• The officer in charge or the nodal authority has to then check the form and declaration and sign the verification certificate.
• The form will be sent to the Chief Electoral Officer of your state who will send it to the District Election Officer. The form will finally be sent to the Electoral Registration Officer of your constituency who will process the form.
• Voter ID cards are not issued to service voters. This is because service voters vote through a proxy or are issued postal ballots. They are not required to produce the card at any polling station, therefore a card is not required.

Documents required for Election Card Registration:

• Proof of Residence:This is mandatory to authenticate the address you have given in the application form (Form Number 6). You can provide any of the most recent utility bill for water or electricity, latest bank statement, PAN Card along with the envelope it was sent, Passport copy, Driving License, State or Central Government issued service card, Passbook copy issued by a public sector bank like SBI or post office. Rental/ lease Agreement or Property Document with deed and photograph, Arm’s License, SC/ ST/ OBC official document, Railway Identity card, Student identity Card, Document for Physical Handicap, Freedom fighter identity card, Pension Document etc.
• Proof of Age:One has to be of age 18 and above to vote. Age proof is needed to validate your Date of Birth you have provided in the Form Number 6. It could be your SSLC Certificate, birth certificate, Driving License or any other suitable document that specifies your age.
• Two recent passport sized photographs:This photo would appear on the Elector’s Photo Identity Card. The photo should be taken in less than six months before submission.Once you have duly filled the application form to apply for your voter id card online and delivered the aforementioned official papers and certificates, you must give at least a month's’ time for the election commission to evaluate your application. Once it is gauged and approved, the commission would send out one of their staffs to substantiate your identifications and other credentials. After all these procedures, your Voter ID Card would be sent to you. Online registration evidently lets you escape red-tapism.

Details of Voters ID forms for online registration:

Form No	Form Description
Form 6	Sending application to enroll yourself as a new Voter for the first time. Applying to include your name in electoral roll after draft publication of roll To send application for changing your given address to another Assembly Constituency within the state or other part of the nation.
Form 7	To object the inclusion of a name proposed to be included in the electoral roll or for requesting deletion of a name already included in that part of the electoral roll Applying to object to include a name in electoral poll Can be filed only by one individual whose name is already included in the roll for that area
Form 8	Applying for corrections of any entry in Electoral Roll or Voter ID Card such as errors in spelling of name, age or any other specifications.
Form 8-A	Applying to change your Address within the same Assembly Constituency that is the applicant is already a registered voter and has shifted his house within the same Assembly Constituency.

Conclusion:

The right to vote is something many take for granted. The right that was won after many struggles and sacrifices, voting day should not be written away as a mere public holiday. It is a chance for you to change/ retain your government. If you do not have a Voters ID Card, now is a good time to apply for one. Not only is it a privilege, but also an integral part of your identity and not just as an ID proof.

Mistakes to Avoid While Filling the Form

Voter ID or an EPIC is one of the most important documents that will have to be availed by every Indian citizen who is eligible to vote and who can go for Voter ID Registration . This document also acts as a proof of address and identity and most importantly, allows the holder to exercise his/her right to vote. In order to avail a Voter ID, applicants will have to visit the office of the Electoral Registration Officer in their constituency.

Some things to keep in mind while applying for their Voter ID Card, are -

• Applicants must ensure that they are filling out the right form. For instance, if they already have their names present in the electoral roll but have shifted residences within the same constituency, they will have to fill and submit Form 8-A. If they wish to register themselves as voters for the first time, they will have to fill and submit Form 6.
• Supporting documents are also extremely important. Without providing these, the completed forms will not be accepted. Individuals must ensure that they submit every document that is required and that these documents contain the correct information.
• Errors in the Form will result in errors appearing in the individual’s Voter ID . If this occurs, the document will have to be sent back for corrections. Hence it is important for customers to ensure that all information filled in their form is correct and without any spelling errors as well. They are advised to double check their application forms prior to submitting it. This includes the spelling of their name, address and the name of their constituency, and so on.

FAQs on Voter ID Registration

1. Who is eligible to register for a Voter ID?Citizens of India who are over 18 years of age can apply to register for a Voter ID. The citizen should have attained the age of 18 by the qualifying date of January 1st.
2. What are the different categories of applicants?There are three different categories under which citizens of Indian can register for a Voter ID. Given below are the different categories:
   1. General Resident Electors
   2. Overseas/NRI Electors
   3. Service Electors
3. What’s the difference between General Resident Electors and Overseas/NRI Electors?General Resident Electors are citizens of India who are residing in the country. NRI Electors or Overseas Electors are citizens of India who stay outside of India. Citizens under both the categories are eligible to vote only if they are above the age of 18 years.
4. Which form should a resident Indian get to register for a Voter ID?A resident Indian or individuals who fall under the ‘General Resident Electors’ can register for a Voter ID with Form 6. The form can be obtained from the Electoral Registration Office or the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer of that particular constituency or from Booth level officers of that particular constituency. The form can also be downloaded from the Election Commission website.
5. What is the eligible criteria for a NRI?In order to apply for a Voter ID card in India, an NRI should fulfil the eligibility criteria. Given below is the eligibility criteria for an NRI:
   1. The NRI should be a citizen of India
   2. Should be above the age of 18 years.
   3. Should not have citizenship in any other country.
6. Who are service electors?Service electors are citizens of India who can vote under the Service category. Service electors are not present in their residence as they are posted elsewhere on service.Given below is a list of individuals considered to be Service Electors:
   1. Members of the Central Armed Forces.
   2. Members of a force that falls under the provisions of the Army Act, 1950.
   3. Members of State Armed Police Forces serving outside the respective state.
   4. Individuals posted and employed outside of India under the Government of India.
7. What are the different types of forms available to a service elector?Given below is the list of forms available under the Service Elector category:
   1. Form 2- For members of the Armed Forces.
   2. Form 2A- For members of State Armed Police Officers, serving outside their state.
   3. Form3- For a person posted or employed outside of India under the Government of India.
   4. Form 6- For service electors who have opted to apply for a Voter ID as a general voter in the place of their posting.
8. What are the documents required for Voter ID registration?Given below is the list of documents required to register for a Voter ID:
   1. Proof of Residence.
   2. Proof of Age.
   3. Two recent Passport sized Photographs.
9. What are the different forms involved in the registration process for Voter ID?Listed below are the forms involved in the registration process for a Voter ID and their functions:
   1. 1. Form 6-The form is necessary to enroll as a new voter.
      2. Form 7- Form 7 is used to object the inclusion of a name proposed to be included in the electoral roll or to delete a name already present in the electoral roll.
      3. Form 8- The form is necessary to make corrections in any entry on the Electoral Roll or on the Voter ID card.
      4. Form 8A- Form is necessary for applying to change your address within the same Assembly Constituency.