When living away from your home state, you might think you can’t vote in the upcoming General Elections. But that’s not true. It’s actually a very simple process!
You just need to fill an online form and upload a scanned copy of “Age Proof”, “Current Residence Proof”, and a photo of yourself.
When you already have an Aadhaar car, a PAN card, or your Class X marksheet as age proof, you just need “Current Residence Proof” to make your vote count.
Since, you are staying away from home, producing a current residence proof needs real effort. But the Election Commission knows this and is very flexible about it. It even accepts any post, letter, or mail delivered through Indian Postal Service in the applicant’s name as proof of address at your current residence. You can use your latest water, telephone, electricity or gas bill from your current address, either in the name of the applicant or an immediate relation like your parents.
If you are a student and living in a government hostel, you ask your hostel manager for a bonafide typed certificate stating that you are a hostel resident, and use that proof to update your bank’s passbook address, and then use your passbook as your current residence proof.
If you are staying in a rented home, you may think of using your latest rent agreement as proof of residence.
If you are working, use the Income Tax Assessment Order. Visit the NSVP website and fill Form 6.
Form 6 is for first-time voters as well as for those who want to shift from another constituency to their current one, whether or not you have already registered in your home constituency. You just need to select the option in Form 6 to remove your name from the previous constituency.
You can change your constituency as many times as you change your residence constituency, and also again back to your home constituency.
To reiterate, here is the list of documents which you can use as current residence proof:
- Bank Passbook
- Ration Card
- Passport
- Driving License
- Income Tax Assessment Order
- Latest rent agreement
- Latest Water, Telephone, Electricity or Gas Connection Bill
- Items delivered through the Indian Postal Department in the applicant’s name at the address of ordinary residence.
Finally, after filling the form, you can track the status online here. And to check whether you are on the voter list or not, go here to search for your name.
Featured image source: Al Jazeera English/Flickr.
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