In order to help the valid voters to cast their votes in the 2019 election, Election Commission has taken a step to ensure that genuine voters cast their vote as much as possible. Election Commission has enabled 11 documents for the identification of the voters. These 11 documents that can be used as an identification proof for voters at the polling booth include Voter’s ID card or Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), passport, the Aadhaar document or Aadhaar card, driving licences, PAN cards, etc. More than 814 million people had been registered as voters in India. According to the Election Commission, these are the stats from 2014 to till date.
Photo Voter Slip Alone Not Sufficient to Vote, Another ID Proof Needed, Says Election Commission
The Election Commission on Thursday said that the Voter ID will not be the stand alone identification proof for voting. It is done so because the voter slips don’t have security features and also hey can easily be misused. Before the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls, order says that the employees of state or government can identify themselves through the ID cards issued to them. The employees of the state-owned companies and public limited companies can also use their ID cards for their identification. Voters can also use their passbooks of banks and post offices that carry photographs within them. Other than these, Smart cards issued by the Registrar General of India can also be used for the identification of the voters.
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Not only these documents can be used for the identification but MGNREGA job cards, as well as health insurance cards issued under the scheme of the ministry of labour, can be used. Pension card or documents with photograph can be used. Other than this, the MPs, MLAs and MLCs can use their official ID cards that is issued to them through the government for casting their votes.
The voters those are in foreign lands must bring their original passport for the identification.
“If an elector produces an EPIC which has been issued by the electoral registration officer of another assembly constituency, such a card shall also be accepted for identification, provided the name of that elector finds place in the electoral roll pertaining to the polling station where the elector has turned up for voting,” the order says.
If someone gets stuck with any of its document or is unable to get identified then he can use the other documents for the identification. It could happen when the photo mismatches. During this situation, voter can produce his/her other documents those are mentioned above.
