How to Register to Vote in India
In India the most important thing that you will need to cast your vote is the Voter Id Card. a Voter Id card also serves as a legal document for various government offices, so it's useful to have it with you. Many people ask themselves if they need to register to vote each year. The answer is no, you will only need to register before you cast your first vote unless you have a major situation life change such as getting married or moving home; so it's easier said than done!
In this article we will know how to register to vote in India, explaining every step you need to take and all the documentation you need.
Contents
Eligibility
The eligibility criteria for registration to vote in India are:
- You are a citizen of India. This means NRIs (non-resident Indians) can vote, as well as any citizen of India without excluding any cast.
- On January 1st of the year when electoral poles are getting prepared you should be 18 years of age or older.
- You should have been living at your current address for at least 6 months or more than that.
- You should not be disqualified due to any convictions or been ruled as an unsound mind person by a court.
Where to register to vote?
You can register to vote and apply for a voter Id card online at the official site of election commission of India.
The official website of Election commission of India is http://eci.nic.in/
There, you'll be able to download the Form 6, which you'll be able to find in Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English. Below, you'll be able to follow all of the steps to fill it in and make it easier for you.
Documents Needed
There are some legal documents which must be submitted while submitting your registration form. These documents would be your address proof and age proof.
1. Address proof
Any one of the following documents would be acceptable as address proof:
- Mobile phone bill
- Landline phone bill
- Electricity bill
- Water bill
- Property tax receipt
- Bank statement
- Ration card
- Passport
- House Lease / Rental Agreement
- LPG receipt
- Driving License
- Identity card provided by employer
- Any other document prescribed by Election commission of India as Identity proof which also contains your address.
2. Age proof
- Birth Certificate
- PAN card
- Passport
- State board exam certificate
- Driving License
- Any other document prescribed by Election commission of India as Identity proof which also contains your date of birth.
3. Passport-size photo
- Colored photo
- Frontal picture
- No sunglasses
How to Register to Vote?
Now, let's take a look at all the steps needed to register to vote in India step by step:
- At first go to the National Voter's Sevice Portal.
- . Then go to the enrollment for a new card section. You will find this section by scrolling down in the 'National Services' menu.
- There fill up all the sections: ' Application', 'Applicant's details', 'particulars of place of present ordinary Residence', details of your family ....
- After adding the members of your family, you will be able to upload the supporting documents we mentioned above: Photograph, Identity proof and Address proof.
- Fill in your declaration and click on 'Submit'.
- From there you will be directed to the confirmation page. Check all your details whether they are right or not. If every detail is ok then submit your form.
- . After successful submission a confirmation e-mail will be sent to your address and a PDF form will be generated.
- Take a print out of the PDF form. If anyone from your house is already a registered voter at some other constituency then you need to fill in that detail in the page 4 of the PDF form.
- Sign the form and then submit it along with the required documents of address proof and age proof at your local Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). After submission ask for the receipt for your application.
- After the address verification is completed by a government official (Booth Level Officer), your name will be included in the voter list for your city.
- Then your voter id card is dispatched at your specified address in India then you can vote using it. If you don't know where you should cast your vote, go to the Election Commission of India site and find your nearest polling station in this service.
Now you are ready to cast your vote. Wondering how to cast vote by Post in India? Get all the details here too!
What about if I'm an overseas
If you are currently overseas, then you will need to fill in Form 6A.
It is pretty similar to the usual form, just note you should have a valid VISA for the country you are currently living in if you want to apply for vote registration.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Register to Vote in India, we recommend you visit our Culture & Society category.
