Voter ID Card India

How to get a voter's ID card?

What is a voter ID card? Who is eligible to have a voter ID card?
Voter ID card or Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) is an identification card issued by the Election Commission to all eligible voters, to enable voter identification on election day.

All those who are already enrolled in the voter list are eligible to receive a voter ID card. .

Is a voter ID card essential for voting?
No. This is a very commonly held myth! Only 2 things are mandatory for voting. 1. Your name should be there in the list of registered voters i.e. in electoral roll or voter list.of your polling booth.

2. You should carry an approved identity proof document.
If you are issued with a voter ID card, you have to compulsorily carry it on the day of voting as an identity proof. If you do not possess a voter ID card, you can carry any one of the approved identity proof documents on election day.

Does the possession of voter ID card entitle me for voting?
No. the mere possession of voter ID card DOES NOT entitle you to voting, because it is mandatory for your name to appear in electoral roll or voter list.

Once you have found out that your name is there in the electoral rolls, and you possess an approved identity proof document (voter ID card or others), you are entitled to vote.

Do I need to register separately to get a voter ID card? How is it different from voter registration?

Yes, you need to register separately to get a voter ID card. You need to fill a different form (Form 001) for this. You can do this either at the time of submitting your voter registration form (Form 6) or after you have submitted your voter registration form and your name appears in the voter list.

Voter registration is the process to get your name included in the electoral rolls or voter lists of your constituency. Remember, it is mandatory to get voter registration done while it is not mandatory that you possess a voter ID card, to be eligible to vote!

How do I register to get a voter ID card? How does the process work?
To register for a voter ID card, you must fill and submit (Form 001).You can submit Form 001 and get a voter ID card in either of the following ways:

1. If you are submitting your voter registration form (Form 6 / 8 / 8A) to your Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), you can also submit Form 001A to apply for a voter ID card at the same time

2. After you have become a registered voter i.e. after your name appears in voter list, you can submit Form 001C to your ERO. Click here to download and understand how to fill Form 001C.

3. At specific time periods, Election Commission of India (ECI) organizes drives to issue voter ID cards to all registered voters through Designated Photographic Locations (DPL). During these drives, the ECI advertises in all major newspapers of the state. Citizens whose names appear on the voters' list are also given information notices by the EROs of each area. The notices issued contain useful information such as the name and age of the person, the house number, the constituency number, and the polling booth or part number. It also mentions the date on which the voter IDs will be issued for a particular polling booth / part and address of DPL.

Once the voter receives the notice, he/she must visit the DPL which is generally a school or government office in the locality. Each DPL will usually have two systems equipped with digital cameras. The voter ID card is issued in 10 to 15 minutes.

While most of the above applies to all states in India, there might be some differences in the way in which different states issue voter ID cards. To know the exact rules, please visit the website of your state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).