Assembly elections 2014 is a month away and to promote free and fair elections the Election Commission of India came up with the concept of Voter ID Card. Every Resident is given a Voter ID Card which acts as an identity proof and can also be used for voting. But along with the Election Card, inclusion of your name in your state’s voter list is a must.

What Is A Voters List?

A voter’s list is a list compiled by the elections authorities of each area/constituency which consists of names of all the people eligible to vote. The list displays details about each person such as address and name. Every area/constituency has its very own voters list. Any person who is at least 18 years of age is eligible to enroll themselves for this list. This list is used as a reference by the election authorities on the day of voting. The importance of this list can be understood from the fact that if your name is not in this list, you simply cannot vote even if you have a voter ID card. One point to remember is that at any given point of time, a person can be registered in only one voters list. It is an offence to be registered in two different lists.

Why Is It Necessary To Include My Name In The Voters List?

Voters list makes your task easy. It easily accommodates your changes like when you shift from one constituency to another and wish to change your address or details in your voter id card, you can easily do it by filling the respective form online. It also helps to manage the details of all the people in India together, allowing them to vote.

As well bogus voting and malpractices such as rigging are avoided to a large extent by publishing the names of the voter’s at one place. Hence the list can easily be verified. Another great feature of voters list is that even after the final list is published it is open to changes. This process is continuous. Every year a summary revision of the list of respective booths is published. This enables the voters to apply for updates or changes which they want to make to their voters list entry.

How Can I Register In Voters List?

You will have to register your name in order to vote in the upcoming elections. Your name in the voters list is a must along with holding a Voter ID Card. For registering your name in the list you will have to fill in a form called Form 6. In order to fill in this form you have to be an Indian citizen. Basically the form asks you details like your name, address and gender. You are also required to make a declaration in the form.

You can download the form 6 from the official website of your state’s election commission of India. You can also get this form from the office of your state’s Electoral Roll Officer.

Is There Any Conditions For Getting My Name Listed in The Voters List?

Elections are organized and managed by Election Commission of India (ECI) where Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) passes orders to ensure the A-to-Z of elections are done without any hitch. The states have a State Election Commissioner (SEC) who follows the orders of the CEC along with Election Registration Officer (ERO) and Booth Level Officers (BLO).

Each year, the voters list is revised but it is only after every ten years that the SEC conducts door-to-door campaign to include new voters into the voter list. To get listed into the voters list, you must be:

• At least 18 years of age. The minimum age of getting listed in an electoral roll is 18 years as per Article 326 of the Constitution, and Sec. 19 of R. P. Act, 1950. The date when you must complete 18 years of age is the January 1st of the year where the voters list was updated.
• A citizen of India. In other words, those who reside as an ordinary resident in an Indian constituency can be eligible to register for the electoral roll as per Section 19 of the R. P. Act, 1950.
• A government employee in case you are not residing in the country and living abroad. In such a case also, you must be posted on government’s order abroad.
• Live, work, or study in the area where the electoral roll is being updated. Even though your permanent address may be in that area you cannot be registered if you are staying at a hostel elsewhere.
• Able to furnish a written declaration from the principal of the college or institute where you are studying that you are residing in a hostel in that area

Remember, you cannot be enrolled in more than one constituency in India. As the election process is now online, you’d not be able to register if you have already got your name enlisted in a voter list elsewhere.

How Can I Check My Name In Voter List Online?

To ensure that your application has been successful and that your name is now included in the voters list, you can access the website of your state’s CEO. In case you are resident of Delhi then you can visit it’s website or also send an SMS on 9211728082. The SMS should be in the format of EPIC<space> <voter ID card number>

Every state now also has its own official election website which has the voters list. Hence thanks to technology to make it easier for the voters and avoid long hours of queues. You can simply go to these sites to check voters list online and verify whether your name is present in the list or not.

Do We Have A Voters List For Indians Staying Abroad?

The number of Indians staying outside India is quite considerable. Many of these are genuinely interested in voting during the elections. For exactly this reason the election commission of India has made necessary arrangements for them so that they can register themselves for elections. In order to get registered, the NRIs will have to fill Form 6A in order to register their names in voters list.

This form is different than Form 6 which is required by those Indians who are actually living in the country. In addition to filling in their personal information, the NRIs will also have to meet some additional conditions. Only when they fulfil these conditions will they be able to vote in the elections. The NRIs can check their names in the voters list online on the website of the state under which their constituency comes.

How Can I Remove My Name From The Voters List?

Until and unless there are forceful reasons, removing one’s name from the voters list is not at all suggested. After all it is one of the most important documents to be registered in. Still if you wish to remove your name from the list, then just like every other process related to elections, removing one’s name from the list also involves filling a form. It is called Form 7. You can fill the form in your state Election Commission’s website and submit it.

Here is a guide on how you can also change details in your Voter’s List.

Hence the voters list plays a major role in Elections 2014. You will have to visit your State’s Website and make sure to check your name in the voters list else your visit to the election booth will be a fail and you will have to wait another 5 years to cast your vote.