Election Commission of India conducted the elections in a very different manner than they are conducted nowadays. To your surprise, the present day Voter Identity Card did not exist until the August of year 1993. In 1993 the ECI decided to issue Election Commission of India Identity Cards to improve the legitimacy and accuracy of the Photo Electoral Rolls or Voter Lists. This means that the Voter Cards were issued and presented in order to prevent fraudulent and forged voting cases. These ID Cards directly aimed at reducing the cases like Bogus Voting. With each voter having his own unique identification card, it became increasingly difficult for wrong doers to cast unlawful votes in the name of other voters. It was also insisted  that the quality of photograph on the EPIC should be good and the voter must be identifiable easily from the same. A good quality image on the Election Commission Identity Card ensured easy verification of the voter identity by the polling officer.

Therefore the legacy of the modern Voter Card is rather young. It has just been 31 Years out of the 67 years of the Democracy, that the Voter Card came into existence. But nevertheless this innovation has brought about great advancement for Free and Fair Election in India. The niche this identity card has created for itself in the electoral process is now an inseparable part of our democracy.

Voter List is a list of all the voters entitled to cast their votes in a given constituency. Since now we know that the Election Commission of India launched Identity Cards to supplement the accuracy of these voter lists, it worth wile to mention that your name in the Voter List is necessary if you want to cast your vote and the Identity Card alone would not help.

Nevertheless, both the processes i.e getting your name in the voter list and the issuance of the Election Card have been streamlined by the election commission to be completed simultaneously. Therefore here in this article we would guide you about How to get Election Commission of India Identity Card and lead your way to glory polling booth, the place where you could help decide the fate of your nation by the means of your Vote.

How to Apply for Your Election Commission of India Identity Card?

The whole registration process for a new voter who wishes to obtain this ECI Identity Card starts from one Voter registration Form, this form is called the Form No. 6 for inclusion of name to the voter list. Therefore if you too wish to become a registered voter and get your election card, you must fill the above mentioned voter form.

Availability of Form No. 6

There are 3 avenues from where you can obtain the Voter Card Form No. 6 if you wish to get your Election Commission of India Identity Card.

• Available at the local Electoral Roll Officer’s Office.
• Available for download at the Election Commission Website:- http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/forms/FORM6.pdf
• Available to fill Online on the ECI Webiste:- http://eci-citizenservices.nic.in/frmmobileverification.aspx?type=FORM6

Ways of Filling Form No. 6

Obtaining the Form No. 6 is just the beginning of your journey to become a voter and get your Election Commission of India Identity Card. You also have to ensure that this form is filled properly along with all the required documents properly attached or uploaded(if applicable). Here a different ways of filling the Form No. 6 for the citizens who want to get their Voter Identity Card.

• Obtain from the ERO Office, fill it manually and deliver it either personally or by post. In this way you have to visit the ERO in person and obtain the hard copy of the Voter Identity Form No. 6, fill it by hand and hence submit it by hand or by using postal service, with the ERO Office as the recipient address. Although this process is the most time consuming method to get an Election Commission of India Identity Card but still it has an comparative advantage over other methods. The advantage here is that you can contact and seek help from the concerned officials in case of doubts regarding the application, that too on site, if you submit it in person at the ERO Office.
• Download the Form No. 6 for Voter Registration from the ECI Website, take out a print-out, fill it by hand, submit in person or by post. Similar to the above mentioned method, in this method for obtaining an Election Commission of India Identity Card, you would not have to visit the ERO Office just to obtain the form since it would already be available with you in form of a print out. In this way multiple trips could be avoided.
• Fill the Voter Registration Form No. 6 online on the ECI or State CEO Website. The least time consuming method to register for an Election Commission of India Identity Card, the Online method lets you apply for it directly from your home. Here is a detailed guide about Online Application for election card on ECI and State CEO Websites.

What After you Have Applied for your Election Commission of India Identity Card?

No matter which method of application you choose for your voter identity card issuance, upon successful submission you can expect a visit from the Booth Level Officer for your verification at the address which you provided on your application. Please note that if you wish to choose the online application method for your voter identity card then uploading the required documents is optional whereas uploading a passport size photograph is mandatory. If you are unable to upload the required documents while applying online, the BLO would collect the same upon his verification visit. The main motive of this verification visit is to verify that you live at the same address which you provided in the Form No .6 and also to verify that you are same person whose photograph was attached/uploaded with the Form. Also for online application, he would take your signature on the downloaded form no. 6 which the officer would be bringing along.

Upon successful verification by the BLO, you may expect to receive your Election Commission of India identity card via speed post. Also once your application is successfully accepted and your identity is verified, you may as well see your name in the voter list of your constituency. Make sure that the details entered in the list are correct since even a small spelling mistake in your name or other details may lead the polling officer to suspect your identity. Therefore even a small mistake in the voter details must be rectified immediately. The form required for rectification of erred Voter identity details is the Form No. 8. and it could also be filled and submitted in the above mentioned ways for Form No. 6 submission. Here is the link from the Election Commission of India website to the online method of filling Form No. 8:- http://eci-citizenservices.nic.in/frmmobileverification.aspx?type=FORM8

Here is the link to download the printable version of the Election Commission Form No. 8:- http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/forms/FORM6.pdf

How Much Time Would it Take the Election Commission of India to issue Identity Card?

The time taken for the issuance of the Election Commission of India identity card varies depending on the mode of application chosen by the voter. In case of online application it usually takes a month or two at maximum for all the formalities to be completed(this is because maintenance and assessment of application database is easier to do for online methods). For the offline methods of applying voter identity card it usually takes a couple of months more than the online method. Offline method takes more time for issuance because of a higher amount human labor involved. Therefore you must keep in mind the election dates in your state so as to synchronize your voter registration day to the voting day, so that you do not miss out on your voting right.  For more information on time taken to issue voter id cards, Click Here.

The above information would surely help you get your election commission of India identity card and hence let you exercise your franchise to vote without any obstacles whenever the election day approaches. However you must ensure that you keep yourself updated with all the information and press releases by the ECI or your State’s CEO so that you are in line with the latest advancements being made in the voter registration sphere. You must contact the concerned officials like the BLO, ERO or the Polling Officers in case of doubts or call the help line numbers provided by the CEO Website of your state. For example, the Voter Helpline number for Delhi is 1950 or 1800111400