Photo voter slip no longer standalone ID document during polls, says EC: Here are the other documents you can take

With the Lok Sabha elections not too far away, the Election Commission has said photo voter slips will no longer be used as the standalone identification document during elections. Voters will have to carry any of the twelve approved identity cards to the polling station.

The move was made because "the design of the photo voter slip does not incorporate any security feature," an EC source told PTI. "In fact, it was started as an alternative document as the coverage of EPIC (Electoral Photo Identity Card) was not complete," it said.

"Taking all these facts in view, the Commission has now decided that a photo voter slip shall henceforth not be accepted as a standalone identification document for voting," the EC said.

However, such slips will continue to be prepared and issued to electors as part of the awareness building exercise, the EC said.The slip will also carry a disclaimer in bold letters that it won't be accepted for the purpose of identification.

For those unsure of what documents they need to take with them to vote, their eligibility as voters, how to vote, and how to register to become a voter, here is what you need to know:

Representational image. AFP

What documents do I need to go vote?

To cast your vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, you have to carry your voter slip along with one of the following: EPIC, passport, Aadhar card, driving licence, service identity cards with photographs issued to employees by central/state government, PSUs, public limited companies, passbooks issued by banks or post office, PAN card and smart card issued by the Registrar General of India under National Populations Register.

Other approved documents are MNREGA job card, health insurance smart card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour, pension document with photograph and official identity cards issued to MPs, MLAs and MLCs.

How do I vote?

Voters can exercise their franchise using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), an electronic device used for recording votes which has two units: a control unit and a balloting unit.  The Lok Sabha election in 2004 was the first parliamentary poll conducted entirely on EVMs.

The Election Commission has also been using Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), which helps voters verify whether their votes have been recorded correctly.

Voters can also use postal ballots, a system of voting through which people can send their votes by post if they cannot be physically present at the voting centre. These votes are considered at the time of counting of votes.

People who work for the defence forces, the government or are on election duty and posted outside their state can use postal ballots. Someone who has been taken into custody as “preventive detention” can also vote through this kind of ballot.

Who is eligible to vote?

Any Indian citizen above the age of 18 years, and has registered himself/herself, is eligible to vote.

Eligible voters have to register themselves in the constituency where they live, after which they will be issued photo election identity cards. Citizens are not allowed to vote if they have not registered or do not have a voter ID card.

The qualifying date is 1 January of the year of revision of electoral roll. Voters are divided into three categories of electors: the general electors, the overseas (NRI) electors and the service electors.

How do I register to become a voter?

Visit (nvsp.in) and click on the link for 'Form6'.  Upload a photograph and documents for age and address proof. Before filling the form, you should ensure that you have the scanned copies of the photograph and supporting documents on your computer.

On completion of the steps, you will receive a unique acknowledgement number through which you can track your voter registration or the status of your request to alter your constituency or address.

Click here for more details on how resident Indians can register to vote

Click here for more information on registering as an NRI voter

With inputs from PTI