Exercising one’s franchise is every Indian citizen’s right as per the Indian Constitution and to do this, one requires a voter’s ID card. Every Indian citizen above the age of 18 years is permitted to apply for a voter ID/election card. In addition to allowing an individual to take part in the democratic process, it also serves as valid identification proof for everything from applying for a loan to buying a house. Generally,people put off applying for one due to the long-drawn-out application process.Earlier, it was possible to apply for a voter’s card only prior to an election, either local or national. However, the Election Commission of India has now made it easier to apply for a voter’s card from the comfort of your home through an online application process.
How to apply online for voter id?
The online enrollment process of a new Voter ID is very simple. All you have to do is go to the Election Commission of India (ECI) homepage, the official website for voter id registration. The website has everything you would need to know about the election process in India, from electoral rolls to the election schedules for upcoming elections across the country. It also has a list of guidelines for voters and various application forms to register to vote. There are a number of forms, based on the service you wish to avail. These range from name change, the inclusion of name in electoral roll for citizens residing in India, as well as separate forms for those who live overseas and members of the armed forces, those in government service, etc. You would have to select the form for new voter application, which is Form 6.To find the form you have to select National Voters Service Portal on the homepage of ECI website. Under the “National Services” section, click on Apply online for new voter. This will take you to the online application form.
Steps involved in new voter id online application:
In short, the steps involved in the online application process are as follows:
Step 1 – Visit the official website of the Election Commission of India.
Step 2 – Click on National Voters Services Portal.
Step 3 – Click on “Apply online for registration of new voter”.
Step 4 – Enter details and upload the required documents.
Step 5 – Click on “Submit”.
Once you submit, you will receive an email on the email address that you have provided. This email will have a link to a personal Voter’s ID page. You will be able to track your voter ID application through this page, and you should receive your Voter ID card in a month from your application.
Documents Required to Apply For a Voter’s ID Card :
To apply for a voter ID card online, you would require the following documents:
One passport sized photograph
Identity proof- this could be a birth certificate, passport, driving licence, PAN Card or high school mark sheet.
Address proof- this could be either ration card, your passport, driving license or a utility bill (phone or electricity).
Voter’s ID Card Eligibility:
The eligibility criteria for Voter’s ID Card can be summed up as follows:
The applicant should be an Indian citizen.
The applicant must have a permanent residential address.
The applicant must be at least 18 years old.
Benefits of applying for Election Card/Voter ID Card online:
There are many benefits for voter id online enrollment. Some of them are mentioned below:
Comfort: This is the biggest advantage of the online application process. Now, you do not have to travel to the electoral office in your constituency to obtain the form. This part used to be an oft-cited reason for not applying for the card, since quite a few eligible voters did not know where their electoral office was located, or did not find the time to collect a form during business hours. With the process going online, prospective voters can do away with this inconvenience. They are now able to download the relevant form and fill it up in the comfort of their homes.
Track Voter ID Status : This is another advantage of applying for an election card/voter ID online. You can easily track your voter ID status online. Once you submit the form, you will start receiving regular updates on the status of your application.
Quick processing : The application process moves faster when you apply online. Applying online would mean your voter ID would be delivered to your doorstep in a month’s time, as opposed to the regular application process which would take much longer.
Fields Included in the online Voter ID Form:
Form 6 is a comprehensive document that gathers all information about the applicant and is divided into sections. At the start of the form, you will have to choose the state or the province you are applying for the voter id card form, and select your constituency from drop-down menus.
The different sections of the online Voter ID form are as follows:
First Section:
The first section of the form contains information on the applicant’s details. The first column requires you to fill in your name in both English as well as the regional language of your state/province. You would be required to fill in your gender, with a list of options to choose from a drop-down menu. Birth details follow next. Here you would have to fill in your date of birth or your age as on the day you are filling out the form, whichever one is known. You would have to fill in all birth details such as the state you were born in and the district or province. You can fill in the name of the village or town if you wish to.
You would have to fill in the name of either your mother/father/husband/wife, mentioning the individual’s name and surname. You would also have to fill in what relationship you share, such as if the person is your father/mother/husband. This information is to be mentioned in both English as well as the regional language.
Second Section:
The second section deals with your address particulars. In this section, you would have to fill in your house or door number, which is optional. You have to provide the name of your street, locality, road or mohalla. Also compulsory is entering the name of your village or town. After this, you have to enter the name of the post office in your locality. Next, you would have to enter the pin code and the tehsil/ taluka or mandal or thana. After this you have to select your district from a drop down menu. You can choose to fill in your email ID and your mobile number.
Third Section:
The third section is where you would have to enter the details of any family member who is currently registered as a voter in the same electoral constituency. You would have to enter the name of the person, their relationship (whether they are your mother, father or husband), their election photo ID number, also their constituency and serial number as it appears in the electoral rolls of the constituency.
You would also have to upload supporting documents like your photograph, address proof and identity proof.
Fourth Section:
The fourth section of the form is the declaration. This declaration confirms that you are a citizen of India who resides at the address you have provided in the form. It further states that you have not applied for a voter’s ID card in any other constituency.
The last declaration is one with two options:
The first states that this is the first time your name will be included on the electoral rolls in any constituency.
The second option states that your name may be on the electoral roll, here you would have to provide the place where it could be registered, along with the date (in day, month and year format).
You would have to select one of the two options as applicable.
Once you have finished filling up the form, you can choose from the options provided. If you have finished entering all your information, you can select “Submit”. In case you wish to continue filling it at a later date, you can select “Save”, and complete the form whenever you wish. If you want to erase all the information you have entered, you can select the “Reset” button.
Process of transition from an old Voter’s ID Card to a new one:
The process of transitioning from an old Voter’s ID card to a new one is fairly straightforward. However, it should be noted that the e-PIC Voter ID is available in a PDF format and is currently being issued to only to the applicants who have registered themselves for their Voter’s ID card after November 2020.
The steps for the same are listed below:
Step 1: Visit the official National Voters’ Services Portal .
Step 2: Click on the ‘e-PIC Download’ option on the homepage.
Step 3: You will be redirected to a new webpage wherein you will be required to enter your EPIC number or Form Reference No. and select the state of your residence.
Step 4: Click on the ‘Search’ button.
Step 5: You will receive an OTP on the registered mobile number.
Step 6: Enter the OTP in the designated field and validate the same.
Step 7: Click on the ‘Download e-PIC’ option and download the same.
