All in Bangalore, your “duty” to vote has arrived. The first step to ensuring that you can vote, is to get a Voter ID Card, also known as EPIC (Elector’s Photo Identity Card). The only catch is, you have to act fast – as the last date for getting your name on the Electoral Rolls is 22 Feb, 2008. All the details can be found here: BangaloreVoterID.org
- You have to fill up Form 6, indicating your current residence, supplemented with some documents (for proof of age and residence – see below)
- You don’t have to be a permanent resident of the place where you want to get a Voter ID card (you can be a tenant)
- If you are working at a place different from your home town, you are eligible to get a Voter’s ID at your town of work
- Please make sure to fill Form 7 to get your name deleted from electoral rolls elsewhere in the country
- Search here to know if your name exists in the electoral rolls of your home town
- Doing this will ensure that your name is not used to register bogus votes at your home place
- Search here to know if your name exists in the electoral rolls of your home town
- You can also fill the same Form 7 to de-register people you know, who no longer are residing in those places (and hence can’t vote) due to migration or death
- Please do this for as many people as you can, you will do a huge favour to the nation.
- You can search for names in the same way as you did for yourself
- Documents for proof of age (18+): High School Marks Sheet, Birth Certificate, Passport, Driving License or this affidavit on a stamp paper stamped by a Notary (I created this from Annexure A of the Passport Form).
- Document for proof of residence is not necessary. But it would help to facilitate (speed up) the work of registration if you can provide any of these: Passport, Bank Pass Book (or a letter from bank), Driving License, Telephone Connection (your name), Gas Connection Documents, Employee Certificate or any Govt. document.
Update: Here is a fresh site where you can find details on deadlines and addresses of electoral registration offices.
Update (21.Apr.08): You can now drop a filled in form (with your photograph pasted on it) and get the Voter ID card within 48 hours. Check this news article from Times of India.