1. Eligibility Criteria
To apply for a new Voter ID Card, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be a Citizen of India.
- You must have attained the age of 18 years on the qualifying date (January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, or October 1st of the year of registration).
- You must be an 'ordinary resident' of the constituency where you wish to be enrolled.
- You must not be disqualified from being a voter (e.g., of unsound mind or convicted of certain electoral offenses).
The application is made using Form 6 for a new enrolment in the electoral roll. You have two main options:
A. Online Application (Recommended)
1. Visit the Official Portal: Go to the official Voters' Service Portal (or the respective State Chief Electoral Officer's website).
2. Registration/Login: Register as a new user or log in to the portal.
3. Select Form: Select Form 6 (Application for Inclusion of Name in Electoral Roll for First Time Voter).
4. Fill the Form: Accurately fill in all mandatory details, including personal information, address, and family member's EPIC number (if available).
5. Upload Documents: Upload the self-attested copies of the required supporting documents (Photo, Proof of Age, and Proof of Address) as specified on the portal.
6. Submit and Note Acknowledgement: Review the details, submit the form, and save the Acknowledgement Number. This number is essential for tracking your application status.
B. Offline Application
1. Obtain Form 6: Get a copy of Form 6 from the office of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), Assistant ERO (AERO), or the Booth Level Officer (BLO) of your area. You can also download it from the ECI website.
2. Fill the Form: Fill the form in duplicate with all necessary details.
3. Attach Documents and Photo: Affix a recent passport-size photograph and attach self-attested copies of the required documents.
4. Submission: Submit the form in person to the BLO, the AERO/ERO of your assembly constituency, or a designated facilitation center.
5. Get Acknowledgement: Ensure you receive an official acknowledgement receipt with the application reference number.
3. Documents Required
You generally need a recent photograph and a self-attested copy of documents for each of the following:
- Document Required Voter Id Card.png (18.58 KiB) Viewed 55 times
Note: The ERO/BLO may conduct a field verification to confirm the details provided in the application, especially the residential address.
4. Timeline and Expected Costs
- Timeline & Expected Cost Voter Id.png (17.38 KiB) Viewed 55 times
5. Benefits of the Voter ID Card (EPIC)
The Voter ID Card is an essential civic and identity document with multiple benefits:
1. Primary Voting Right: It is the primary document required to exercise your right to vote in municipal, state, and national elections, confirming your enrollment in the electoral roll.
2. Proof of Identity: It is a government-recognized document that serves as a valid Photo ID Proof across India for various official purposes.
3. Proof of Address: It is accepted as a reliable Proof of Residence for applications like a new passport, bank account, mobile connection, etc.
4. Age Proof: It can be used as Proof of Age in many non-electoral transactions.
5. Prevents Electoral Fraud: The unique 10-digit EPIC Number and the photo-ID format help in preventing impersonation, bogus voting, and maintaining the integrity of the electoral process.