Voter ID Verification - How To Verify Voter ID Card?

State and Union election processes in India are administered by the constitutional authority named the 'Election Commission of India' (ECI). This autonomous body issues a photo identity card called ‘Voter ID’ or ‘EPIC’ (Electors Photo Identity Card) to all Indian citizens who are eligible to vote. 

This card serves as a voter's identity proof to prevent fraud and impersonation, thus increasing the efficiency of conducting fair and democratic elections. This article provides the processes involved in voter ID issuance and voter ID verification.

How to Apply for a Voter ID?

An Indian citizen aged above 18 years can apply for a voter ID card through offline, semi-online, and online methods. A detailed discussion of the steps to follow for each method is given below.

Online Method:

Step 1: Visit the official NVSP (National Voters Service Portal) website. 

Step 2: Click on the ‘Sign-Up’ button. Enter your mobile number, email and captcha code and click ‘Continue’.

Step 3: Enter your first name, last name and password and click ‘Request OTP’. Enter the OTP received on your mobile number and click ‘Verify’.

Step 4: Next, ‘Login’ to the NVSP website by entering your mobile number, password, captcha and OTP.

Step 5: After logging in, click on the button ‘Fill Form 6’ button to fill out the Voter ID card application form online.

Step 6: Fill out the form, upload the necessary documents, and submit it.

Voter ID will be issued after successful verification of the application and documents.

Semi-Online Method:

Step 1: Visit the official NVSP (National Voters Service Portal) website.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Download’ button under the ‘New registration for general electors’ tab.

Step 3: Take a printout of the downloaded form and fill it out.

Step 4: Submit the filled-out form along with supporting documents to the nearest election office.

The office will issue the voter ID card after the verification of the application and documents are complete.

Offline Method:

Step 1: Visit the State Election Office of your area and request ‘Form 6’.

Step 2: Fill out the form carefully by providing all necessary details and submit it to the election office, along with the required documents.

After verification of the application and documents are verified, the office will issue the voter ID card to your address.

What Is the Voter ID Verification Process?

After you submit your application for voter ID card issuance, the verification of the details entered in the application starts. 

Usually, a ‘Booth Level Officer’ oversees the verification process wherein he ensures the document’s authenticity and verifies all your submitted details as per Election Commission criteria. 

During this verification process, the rise of any inconsistency would nullify your application, and you will have to make a new submission with proper/correct details.

Moreover, you will get a valid voter ID card only after successful voter ID application verification. Typically, the verification process is completed within 15 to 21 days, and after this, the voter ID card is delivered to you by post. Usually, you will get your voter ID card by 30 days from the application submission date.

How Does the Voter ID Verification Process Work?

The voter ID verification process works in the following sequence:

• Submission of the application form from your end (Form 6 in case of first-time voter ID registration, and Form 8 in case of updating or correcting voter ID details), along with essential documents.
• After submission, all details mentioned in the documents are verified. 
• Booth Level Officers may visit the applicant’s residence to verify essential details in person at the applicant’s address.
• If all essential details match, verification is understood to be successful.
• Voter ID is issued and delivered to the applicant’s address by post within 2 to 3 weeks.

Voter ID Verification Status

A couple of years back, applying for a new voter ID card, requesting any corrections to an existing Voter ID card or tracking its verification status would have needed an in-person visit from you to the election office. Now, you can do all of these online. Following are the steps to check voter ID verification status online after submitting Form 6 or Form 8:

Step 1: Log in to the NVSP portal.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Track Application Status’ tab on the homepage.

Step 3: Enter the reference number provided to you after submission of the voter registration application.

Step 4: Select the state and click ‘Submit’. 

The system will display the voter ID verification status on the screen.

Application Number for Voter Card Verification

At the time of submission of the voter ID application (either at the election office or through the NVSP website), an application reference number of 11 digits is provided to you by the election office official or by mail (when you apply online). Retaining this reference number is crucial for tracking purposes or checking the status of your application. 

How to Verify Voter ID Without Documents?

Voter ID cannot be verified without necessary identity documents. Providing valid identity proof, address proof, and a passport-sized photo is mandatory on the applicant’s part to verify his/her voter ID.

Voter ID Verification Online

You can also verify the details on your voter ID card after it is issued to you. You can verify or check the correctness of your voter ID details online by following the steps below:

Step 1: Log in to the official NVSP website.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Search in Electoral Roll’ tab.

Step 3: Select any one of the options - ‘Search by Details’, ‘Search by EPIC’ or ‘Search by Mobile’.

Step 4: Enter the required information and captcha code and click ‘Search’.

Step 5: The system will provide your details. You can further check if your details are correct by clicking on ‘View Details’ under the ‘Action’ column. You can verify all details printed on your voter ID card.

If you find your details to be incorrect, you should click on 'Fill Form 8' available on the homepage of the NVSP website. Fill out form, enter the updated/correct details, upload the supporting documents and click ‘Submit’. 

After submission, your application will be verified and processed. Once the verification is complete, the necessary changes will be made to your voter ID card, and the new voter ID card will be issued to you with the correct details.

Voter Card Verification by Name

You can check online whether the voter list has your name mentioned on it by following the below steps:

Step 1: Log in to the official NVSP website.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Search in Electoral Roll’ tab.

Step 3: Select the ‘Search by Details’ option.

Step 4: Select the state and language.

Step 5: Enter your name, date of birth, relative's name, and gender. Select your district and assembly constituency and enter the captcha code. Then, click on ‘Search’.

If your details are displayed, it means that your name is there on the voter list. If the screen displays no record found, it means your name is not included on the voter list, and you will have to contact the election office to include your name and exercise your right to vote.

State-Wise Voter ID Verification- How Is It Done?

The major responsibility to execute an entire election process in a state lies with the State Election Commission. The voter ID cards are issued to the residents of a state if they are eligible, i.e., upon successful verification of an applicant's documents. ECI and State Election Commissions conduct this process of voter ID verification in the same way throughout all union territories and states.

Therefore, the ECI and the State Election Commission are jointly responsible for conducting a fair election countrywide. They need to make sure fraudulent votes do not get registered. For this reason, election offices conduct a thorough and careful verification process which ensures the participation of only eligible people in elections.

This verification process, in turn, needs your (the voter's) cooperation to avoid complications by submitting authentic documents with correct details from your end. For this reason, the election commission bodies conduct door-to-door verification, collect biometric data, and use advanced technology to detect fraud.

With the development of technology, the voter ID verification process has been able to get rid of a lot of manual hassle. However, given the importance of a fair election process in a democratic country with a huge population like India, the responsibility lies both on you (the voter) and the election commission bodies. 

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