Voter ID (EPIC) — New Registration and Correction

What is a Voter ID (EPIC) and who issues it?

The Elector's Photo Identity Card, universally called the Voter ID or EPIC, is issued by the Election Commission of India to a person whose name has been entered in the electoral roll of an assembly constituency. Registration is handled by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of that constituency, supported on the ground by the Booth Level Officer (BLO).

Two things are worth separating in your mind. Enrolment in the electoral roll is what actually gives you the right to vote. The EPIC card is the photo identity document that follows from that enrolment. The card is also widely accepted outside elections, for bank KYC, SIM issue and as address or identity proof, but its legal purpose is electoral.

The single citizen portal for all of this is voters.eci.gov.in, which now carries the services earlier split across the National Voters' Service Portal (NVSP) and the Voter Portal. The Voter Helpline mobile app offers the same forms on Android and iOS.

The four forms you will encounter

• Form 6; enrolment of a person not yet on the roll, including first-time voters and people who have shifted to a new constituency and are enrolling afresh.
• Form 6A, enrolment of an overseas Indian elector holding an Indian passport.
• Form 7: objection to the inclusion of a name, or a request to delete an entry, for example after a death or a duplicate registration.
• Form 8: shifting of residence, correction of entries, replacement of the EPIC without correction, or marking as a Person with Disability.

Who is eligible for voter registration?

You can apply if:

• You are a citizen of India.
• You are 18 years of age or above on the qualifying date. The Representation of the People Act recognises four qualifying dates in a year, 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October, so a 17-year-old may file Form 6 in advance and be added to the roll on the qualifying date at which they turn 18.
• You are ordinarily resident in the constituency where you are applying. The Form 6 guidelines confirm that a student may enrol either at the parents' address or at the hostel or mess where they ordinarily reside.
• You are not already enrolled in any other constituency. Enrolment at two places at once is not permitted.

You cannot apply if:

• You are not a citizen of India. Foreign nationals and holders of foreign passports are not eligible, whatever their length of stay in India.
• You have been declared of unsound mind by a competent court.
• You are disqualified from voting under the law relating to corrupt practices and offences in connection with elections.
• You are seeking to enrol in a constituency where you are not ordinarily resident: owning a house somewhere you do not live is not enough.

Two groups are specifically provided for. Homeless Indian citizens living in sheds or on pavements, and sex workers without documentary proof of residence, may still enrol; the guidelines direct that field verification be carried out in such cases. Service personnel applying as general electors at a peace-station posting must first make sure they are not already registered as a service elector elsewhere.

What documents are required for voter registration?

The Form 6 guidelines are explicit that attaching a listed document speeds up registration and delivery. If you hold none of the listed age proofs, you may name another document in item 7(ii) and in the declaration, but you will then have to appear personally before the ERO for verification.

How to apply for a voter ID online

1. Open voters.eci.gov.in and create an account using your mobile number, then log in with the OTP sent to that number.
2. Select "New registration for general electors", which opens Form 6. Overseas Indian electors should choose Form 6A instead.
3. Enter your state, district and assembly constituency. If you are unsure of the constituency name or number, leave it, the guidelines say an application cannot be rejected merely for not naming the constituency, and the ERO will assist.
4. Fill in your name exactly as it should appear, in English and in the official language of the state. Filling only one language lets the system transliterate, which is a common source of spelling errors.
5. Enter the name and surname of a relative — father, mother, husband or wife, and tick the correct relation type.
6. Enter your Aadhaar number for authentication, or tick the box declaring that you do not hold one.
7. Enter your date of birth and upload the age proof, then enter your full postal address with PIN code and upload the residence proof.
8. Upload the photograph; colour, unsigned, white background, 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm.
9. Complete the declaration honestly, including the place and date, and submit. Note the reference number shown on screen.
10. Track the application under Track Application Status using that reference number.

How to apply for a voter ID offline

1. Obtain the printed Form 6 from the office of the Electoral Registration Officer, the Assistant ERO, or your Booth Level Officer. The form is also downloadable from voters.eci.gov.in.
2. Fill the form in English or in the official language of your state, paste the photograph in the space provided, and attach self-attested photocopies of your age and residence proof.
3. Submit the form to the BLO, the ERO or the AERO of your assembly constituency, and collect an acknowledgement carrying the reference number.
4. Be available for field verification by the BLO at the address you have declared.

Offline submission is also possible during a Special Summary Revision, when BLOs sit at polling stations on notified days to accept Forms 6, 7 and 8.

How to correct entries or replace a lost voter ID

Form 8 is a single form with four mutually exclusive options. Tick one and strike off the rest.

1. Shifting of residence: file this with the ERO of the constituency where your new address falls, and attach address proof in your own name or that of a parent or spouse. Approval issues a new EPIC and removes your old entry.
2. Correction of entries; tick the specific field to be corrected and attach a document supporting that claim. Correctable fields include name, gender, age or date of birth, relation type, relative's name, photograph, address and mobile number. If you want a new photograph, paste a fresh 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm unsigned colour photo with a white background.
3. Replacement EPIC without correction; use this when the card is lost, destroyed, damaged or mutilated. Attach a copy of the FIR or police report for a lost card; for a mutilated card, surrender the old one instead.
4. Marking as Person with Disability, record the category of disability so that polling-day assistance, transport and a wheelchair can be arranged.

In every approved case the ERO issues a replacement EPIC and you must return the old card to the ERO immediately.

How long does voter registration take and how do I check status?

Applications are ordinarily decided in about 30 days. That window covers BLO field verification at your declared address, ERO scrutiny, and inclusion in the roll on the applicable qualifying date.

To check progress, open Track Application Status on voters.eci.gov.in and enter your reference number with your state. The same is available in the Voter Helpline app. Once approved, you receive an EPIC number, the physical PVC card is despatched by speed post free of cost, and you can immediately download the digital e-EPIC from the portal.

Why voter ID applications get rejected or sent back

• Address proof not in an accepted name. The document must be in the name of the applicant, a parent or spouse, not a sibling, landlord or friend.
• Photograph rejected; signed photographs, coloured or patterned backgrounds, cropped faces, closed eyes and low-resolution phone photos are the usual causes.
• Name mismatch across documents, or transliteration errors introduced because only one language was filled.
• Already enrolled elsewhere. An existing entry in another constituency has to be removed through Form 7 first.
• BLO could not trace the applicant at the declared address during field verification.
• Incomplete declaration, which the guidelines require to be completed in all respects.

If your application is rejected, the fix is normally to file a fresh Form 6 with the correct document rather than to appeal. For a wrong entry that has already been printed on your card, use Form 8.

Help and grievance redressal

• Voter Helpline: 1950. Prefix your area's STD code when dialling from a mobile, for example 011-1950 in Delhi.
• Voter Helpline mobile app on Android and iOS for forms, status and complaints.
• Grievance module on voters.eci.gov.in for written complaints, which are routed to your district election office.
• ERO, AERO or district election office in person for document disputes and failed field verification.

Voter registration and correction are free. There is no government fee for Form 6, Form 7 or Form 8, and the EPIC is despatched free of cost by speed post. Cyber cafes, agents and unofficial "voter card" websites that charge a few hundred rupees to "get your name added" or to "speed up" your card are selling you a service the Election Commission provides at no cost. No ECI official will ask you for an OTP or a payment.