How to register to vote in India: Eligibility, documents required, online and offline steps

[ecis2016.org] If you are not familiar with how to register to vote in India, here is an explainer

It is a basic right of every Indian citizen to participate in the democratic process and doing so, guarantees that they will have a voice in the process. If you are not familiar with how to register to vote in India, here is an explainer.

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Right to vote

The right to vote has been acknowledged by the Constitution of India in Article 326, which provides that no individual may be refused the right to vote as long as they meet the requirements for adult suffrage, which are that they are above the age of 18 and a citizen or permanent resident of India.

Eligibility criteria to register to vote in India

• The person must be a citizen of India.
• The person must be 18 years old by the qualifying date, which is January 1 of the year in which the electoral register is being revised.

Note that the person must be registered to vote on either India’s national electoral roll or, failing that, in the voting constituency in which the individual lives.

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Forms required to register to vote in India

The following is an explanation of the list of the forms that may be necessary:

• Form 6 must be completed by every general voter in the country. Form 6 can be used by people who are applying to register to vote for the first time, as well as by those who wish to alter their electoral district.
• Form 6 A needs to be filled out by non-resident Indians (NRIs).
• Form 7 should be completed by the applicant if they wish to modify any information included in their registration on the electoral register.
• Form 8 needs to be filled out by the applicant to make changes to their personal information such as their name, photo, age, EPIC number, address, and date of birth.

Voter registration: What is the importance of Form 6?

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Form 6 must be submitted to enroll as a new voter and get a voter ID. The form can be filled out by anybody who was at least 18 years old on the first day of January of the year that is being used as a reference for revising the Electoral Roll. After a person submits Form 6 to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of the Assembly Constituency, they will be added to the electoral register as a voter. In addition to Form 6, individuals are required to provide a passport-sized photograph, as well as copies of documentation that verifies their age and place of residence.

Documents required to register to vote in India

ID proof

Any government-issued photo identity is acceptable, including:

• Aadhaar card
• Passport
• Driving licence
• PAN card
• Student identification card

Address proof

It is required that you provide proof of residency. To register to vote, you are required to have resided there for at least six months.

• Bank / Kisan / Post Office current pass book
• Ration Card
• Aadhaar card
• Passport
• Driving licence
• Income tax assessment order
• Latest rental agreement
• The most recent water, telephone, electricity, or gas connection bills for that residence, with the applicant’s name on them or the names of his or her direct relatives (parents, etc.).
• Any post/letter/mail delivered through the Indian Postal Department in the applicant’s name at the address of regular residence.

Note:

If the above-mentioned documents are in your landlord’s name and not yours, they may sign an affidavit declaring that you reside at the specified location. If the address documentation that you are providing is in the name of a family member, the connection must be proven – a birth certificate is needed to verify a tie to your parents, and a marriage certificate is required if the address is registered to your spouse.

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Age proof

The following documents are accepted for age proof:

• Aadhar card
• Passport
• Driving licence
• PAN card
• Birth certificate was issued by a municipal authority or a district office of the Registrar of Births and Deaths.
• Document containing date of birth, obtained from the applicant’s most recent educational institution, whether it be a government- or state-approved school or another recognised educational establishment.
• If a person has passed class 10 or above, they are required to provide a copy of their class 10 mark sheet, which, if it includes their date of birth, may serve as evidence of their date of birth.
• Marksheet of class 8 or class 5 if it contains the date of birth.

How to register to vote in India: Online registration process

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The applicant must fill out Form 6 to complete online voter registration and get the Voter Identification card. The application can be downloaded from the  NVSP website. After the voter registration application has been filled out, it must be sent to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) in your constituency. The information on the form will be validated and the applicant’s name will be added to the appropriate section of the voter list.

Voter registration in India: How to confirm that one is registered to vote

You can check the details of your voter registration by logging onto the election website. This will allow you to verify if your voter registration is complete. Alterations to the applicant’s information that are already included on the electoral register can also be made through the website of the EC.

How to register to vote in India: Offline registration process

Follow the procedures below to register as a voter without using the Internet:

• Visit the Booth Level Officer (BLO) closest to you and obtain Form 6.
• After completing the form, submit it together with the Aadhar card, a document providing confirmation of your birth and your diploma. If any of these papers are unavailable, you are required to file an affidavit explaining why.
• Two pictures of the applicant in passport size are also needed.
• In addition to the aforementioned documents, the applicant must provide a photocopy of a family member’s voter identification card. If none of the applicant’s family members has a valid ID, the applicant may submit the ID card of a neighbour.
• After submitting the required documents to the Booth Level Officer (BLO), the verification department will check the paperwork and then give the voter ID to the applicant.

Who is not qualified to cast a vote in India?

Citizens who have been determined by the law to be mentally unfit to vote or who have been disqualified from voting owing to corrupt practices or any criminal conduct concerning elections, are not eligible to vote. A person who is not an Indian citizen cannot be enrolled on the voting registers.

A voter slip will be provided by the election commission to a person after they have become eligible to vote and have registered to become a voter. This voter slip will certify that the citizen’s name is on the voter list. This slip has the potential to serve as a voter card if it is accompanied by picture identification evidence that is accepted by the Election Commission. If a resident does not get the voter registration slip, they may check online or contact the helpdesk, to find out if they are registered to vote.

Next Indian general election

It is anticipated that the next general election will take place in India either in May 2024 or earlier, to elect members of the 18th Lok Sabha. On June 16, 2024, the current term of the Lok Sabha is expected to expire. The last general elections were conducted through April and May 2019.

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