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No. ECI/PN/22/2019 Dated: 28th February, 2019
PRESS NOTE
Subject: Photo voter slips not to be valid as stand-alone identification document for voting.
Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) or one of the eleven specified photo identity documents, essential for casting vote.
The Election Commission of India has directed that all electors in all constituencies who have been issued Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) have to produce the Electors Photo Identity Card for their identification at the polling station before casting their votes. Those electors who are not able to produce the EPIC shall produce one of the following alternative photo identity documents for establishing their identity. The list of eleven documents is:
Passport,
Driving License,
Service Identity Cards with photograph issued to employees by Central/State Govt./PSUs/Public Limited Companies,
Passbooks with photograph issued by Bank/Post Office,
PAN Card,
Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR,
MNREGA Job Card,
Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour,
Pension document with photograph,
Official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs, and
Aadhaar Card.
Overseas electors shall have to produce their original passport only for identification. To assist the Voters, the Commission has further directed its officers that in the case of EPIC, minor discrepancies in the entries should be ignored, provided the identity of the elector can be established by the EPIC. If an elector produces an EPIC which has been issued by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of another Assembly Constituency, such 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. If it is not possible to establish the identity of the elector on account of mismatch of photograph, etc. the elector shall have to produce one of the above mentioned alternative photo documents.
Previously, the Commission had allowed Photo Voter Slip (PVS) as a document for identification. However, there have been representations against its use as a stand-alone identification document on the grounds of misuse since PVSs are printed after the finalization of the roll and distributed just close to the poll day through Booth Level Officers (BLO). The design of PVS does not incorporate any security feature. In fact, Photo Voter Slip was started as an alternative document, since the coverage of EPIC was not complete in earlier years. Currently, more than 99% electors possess EPIC, and more than 99% adults have been issued Aadhar Cards.
Considering all the above listed facts, the Commission has now decided that PVS shall henceforth not be accepted as a stand-alone identification document for voting. However, PVS will continue to be prepared and issued to electors as part of the awareness building exercise. In order to make it clear to the electors that PVS shall not be accepted as a stand-alone identification document for voting, the words `THIS SLIP WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR THE PURPOSE OF IDENTIFICATION IN POLLING STATION. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO CARRY EPIC OR ONE OF THE 11 ALTERNATIVE DOCUMENTS SPECIFIED BY THE COMMISSION FOR VOTING” shall be printed on the Photo Voter Slip in bold letters.
All Returning Officers and Presiding Officers are being informed of these instructions. A copy of the instructions translated in the vernacular language will be supplied to each Presiding Officer. The Commission has directed to publicize the order immediately through Gazette notifications and through print/electronic media at regular intervals till poll day for public awareness.
भारत निर्वाचन आयोग एक स्वायत्त संवैधानिक प्राधिकरण है जो भारत में निर्वाचन प्रक्रियाओं के संचालन के लिए उत्तरदायी है। यह निकाय भारत में लोक सभा, राज्य सभा, राज्य विधान सभाओं और देश में राष्ट्रपति एवं उप-राष्ट्रपति के पदों के लिए निर्वाचनों का संचालन करता है। निर्वाचन आयोग संविधान के अनुच्छेद 324 और बाद में अधिनियमित लोक प्रतिनिधित्व अधिनियम के प्राधिकार के तहत कार्य करता है।
