A Voter ID card is an identity proof issued to the citizens of India who are eligible to cast vote in the upcoming elections. This card is issued by the Election Commission of India. Voter ID card is also known by many other names such as Election Photo Identity Card, election card or Voter’s card and contains a unique serial number and important details of the voter like the photograph, name, date of birth and gender etc. on the front side and residential address and signature of issuing authority on the back side of the Voter’s ID Card. Only those citizens whose names are present in the Voter list are eligible to cast vote in India.
Who is allowed legally to apply for a Voter ID card?
Any person who is a citizen of India and who has completed 18 years of age can get himself registered for a Voter ID card in India. The main purpose of providing a unique Voter ID to everyone is to prevent fraud and to promote free and fair democratic elections.
Documents required to apply for Voter ID Card:
The following documents are required to be submitted online to apply for a Voter’s ID card:
A recent passport sized photograph, a valid ID proof (aadhar card, birth certificate, passport, PAN Card etc.) and a Proof of address- this could be either ration card, your passport, driving license or an electricity bill.
How to apply for a valid Voter ID card?
Though registration for Voter’s ID can be done offline, but to save a lot of time and efforts, the registration facility is available online. The process to apply online for Voter’s ID card is described below:
- Open the link provided for the official website of the Election Commission of India.
- Click on the option related to registration of new voter id.
- A new page with Form 6 will appear on the screen whereby all the details should be carefully filled and submitted.
- Upload a recent passport size photograph along with all the supporting documents.
Details to be filled in form 6:
- Personal details of the applicant such as name of the applicant, gender, date of birth, place of birth, etc.
- Details of permanent residential address.
- Details of a family member who is already registered as a voter in the same electoral constituency.
- Go through the declaration stating that the name is being included for the first time in the electoral rolls in any Indian constituency.
Verification of Voter ID:
Any applicant can verify his Voter ID by visiting the official website of the Chief Electoral Officer of his respective state, and then selecting the option “Search name in the electoral roll”. Enter all the valid details and click on verify.
Tracking the application status:
To track the status of your Voter ID, on the home page of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) website, enter your application reference number and details as submitted in form 6, click on track application status option and see the updated status of your application.
Non-resident Indians can also apply online for the Voter ID card in the same manner as specified above and can have their Voter ID issued. However, to cast their vote they need to be present in their country.
