Voter Id Details

Introduction

Voter ID is a photo identity card that is issued by the Election Commission of India to all individuals who are eligible to vote. It enables to improve the accuracy of the electoral roll and prevent cases of electoral fraud. For individuals, it also serves as an identification proof when they need to cast their vote. This card is also commonly known by other names such as an election card, voter’s card, Voter ID, etc.

Voter ID card helps ascertain your identity as an adult citizen of the country and are primarily used in casting one’s vote in municipal, state, and general elections. It is issued by the Election Commission and can be used for general identity, address, and age proof for other purposes such as buying a mobile phone SIM card or applying for a passport.

Details of Voter ID

Voter ID cards are widely accepted for personal identification purposes in India. It allows the holder of the card to cast his or her vote during an election and also acts as address proof for a variety of purposes. This card is issued by the Election Commission of India to all eligible Voters and comprises the following fields:

• A hologram sticker
• Serial number
• Photograph of the cardholder
• Name of elector/cardholder
• Card holder’s parent’s name
• Card holder’s gender
• Elector’s / card holder’s age as on the date of issue of the card
• Elector/card holder’s complete residential address is mentioned on the rear side of the card, along with the signature of the issuing authority

Amendment of Details in Voter ID

A Voter ID card has details such as the name of the holder, address, etc. The number of voters in a particular constituency is reflected in the electoral roll, and any mistakes which are in your card are likely to show up in the list as well. Individuals who wish to change/correct their name in their voter ID can do so by making use of certain forms which the ECI has created.

If your name is incorrect in the Voter ID, all you need to do is fill out Form 8, highlighting the corrections to be made in your voter ID. This form needs to be submitted along with relevant supporting documents to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of your assembly constituency. Once submitted, the ERO will take relevant steps to ensure corrections are incorporated into your voter ID. The form can be downloaded from the official website of the Election Commission of India, or one could request changes by submitting it online as well.

Importance of Voter ID

The Voter ID card is important for every Indian citizen for a variety of reasons:

• Proof of Identity – Indian citizens can use the Voter ID as a valid form of identification proof. The Voter ID card is accepted at various offices and institutions that require the individual to furnish a valid form of identification, like insurance companies, online travel companies, gas companies, banks, etc. Also, almost all government-run agencies, insurance providers, claim firms, mortgage providers like banks ask applicants to provide a Voter ID number to process their request.
• Casting Votes – The Voter ID card is crucial to cast your vote during any election. If you hold a valid Voter ID card and your name is present in the electoral roll of your local area, you can cast your vote.
• Registration in Electoral Roll Of A Non-Domicile State – The Voter ID allows individuals to register their name in the electoral roll of a state other than their state of domicile. This is especially helpful if a person has migrated from another state and wishes to enrol in the electoral list of his local area/constituency.
• The card acts as a commonly accepted form of a personal identity document.
• The Voter ID Card acts as an acknowledgement that the cardholder is a registered voter.
• The card includes several identification features like the applicant’s signature, photograph, fingerprints, etc., which provide added assurance for the cardholder.
• In case of an election, the card carries provisions (by way of marking) to prevent the holder from voting multiple times.
• The Voter ID card can be designed to suit the electoral requirements of a population with a low literacy population.
• It is especially helpful as a form of identification for voters with no fixed address.

FAQs

End Note

The Voter ID card is one of the most crucial documents that you can have in India as a citizen. There are several uses of this apart from being a document to allow voting. You can use it both as an identity card and address proof. It is accepted by banks, airports, telecom companies and many other institutions as proof of your identity.