Optional Grouping: Voter ID Card

A Voter ID Card, also known as the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) is a photo identity card that is issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to all individuals who are eligible to vote.¹ This card is commonly known by other names such as an election card, voter’s card, Voter ID, etc.

The primary purpose of this card is to improve the accuracy of the electoral roll and to help prevent cases of electoral fraud. It serves as an identification proof when individuals cast their vote and prevents the impersonation of voters.² Know more about voting without Voter ID Card here.

The Voter ID Card also acts as a valid photo ID proof for several official purposes such as obtaining Aadhaar, PAN Card etc.

The Voter ID Card contains the elector’s name, age and residence (among other particulars), and must have elector’s photograph affixed to it. It bears the signature of the Registration Officer i.e., the electoral registration officer of your constituency.³ The voter’s card is prepared in duplicate, and one copy is retained with the registration officer while the other is delivered to the voter.⁴

You can enroll as a voter if you:⁵

1. Are an Indian citizen
2. Have attained the age of 18 years
3. Are ordinarily resident of the polling area of the constituency where you want to be enrolled
4. Are not disqualified to be enrolled as an elector. The disqualification may happen if you are convicted for an offence or you carry out corrupt practices.⁶

Know more about who can vote here.

A Voter ID Card does not require any renewal. You can obtain a new Voter ID Card and also update your Voter’s ID. If you require any additional help and support, please see here.  

Read this government resource to know more.

1. Section 61(b), Representation of the People Act, 1951; Rule 28(2), Registration of Electors Rules, 1960[↩]
2. Rule 28(1), Registration of Electors Rules, 1960[↩]
3. Rule 2(d), Registration of Electors Rules, 1960[↩]
4. Rule 28(3), Registration of Electors Rules, 1960[↩]
5. Article 326, Constitution of India[↩]
6. Section 11A, Representation of the People Act, 1951[↩]

You can update personal details in your Voter ID Card such as:

• Name
• Photo
• Age
• Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) Number
• Address
• Date of birth
• Name of relative
• Type of relation
• Gender

To understand how to update, read more here.

If you require any additional help and support, please see here.

Read this government resource for more information.

You can obtain a new Voter ID Card either by applying online or in person.

Obtaining a Voter ID Card

Step 1: You are eligible to vote if your name appears in the electoral list, otherwise you need to register to vote. Check if you are registered to vote here. Read more about verifying your name here.

Step 2: Check which category of voter you are – General elector, NRI elector, or Service elector. If you are an NRI elector or Service elector, know more here.

Step 3: You can enroll either online or in person:

Online

General voters (resident electors in India), first time voters and voters shifting to a new constituency have to fill out Form 6 on the National Voters’ Service Portal (NVSP). The Form will be uploaded online. Read more here.

In Person

You also enroll in person by filling two copies of Form 6 which is also available free of cost in offices of Electoral Registration Officers/Assistant Electoral Registration Officers and Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

If you are filing the application in person, you can fill it:

• In front of the concerned Electoral Registration Officer / Assistant Electoral Registration Officer; or
• Send the form by post addressed to him; or
• Hand the form over to the Booth Level Officer of your polling area.

Step 4: Whether you choose to enrol online or in person, you will need to submit the following documents along with your application form:

• One recent Passport size coloured photograph and
• Photo-copies of proof of age (for applicants between 18-21 years) and proof of residence. Know more here.

Step 5: A BLO will visit the address given in the Form, to verify the details you gave in your application. After the Voter ID Card is ready, the BLO will either send/drop it off to your address or will request you to collect it from the Electoral Registration Office. Generally, it takes around 2 months from the date of application to receive your Voter ID Card. Track your application status on the NVSP.

Step 6: The Electoral Registration Officer issues a notice with the draft of the names of the voters, so that you can object to any of the names. This list will be displayed on the website of the Chief Election Officer (CEO), notice board of Electoral Registration Officer and polling stations. Know more about filing an objection here.

If you require any additional help and support, please see here.  

Read this government resource to know more.