Maharashtra & Haryana Assembly Election 2019: A primer on documents required to cast your vote

The terms of the Legislative Assemblies of Haryana and Maharashtra are due to expire on 2 and 9 November 2019 respectively.

Both states, currently ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance are set to vote in a fresh government on 21 October. However, in order to make your voice count in the democratic process, it is important that every eligible citizen goes out and votes.

Representational image. Reuters

However, the initial trial of paperwork, the fact the polling process is completely electronic, and the sheer confusion over which documents to carry to the polling booth can be daunting, especially for first-time voters.

So Firstpost came up with a series of articles to simplify the process and aid citizens in exercising their democratic right. In this article, we will discuss in detail what all documents are mandatory to carry to the polling booth.

However, before we get into the detailed list of documents required to vote, let’s clarify at the outset, what is not a compulsory document.

Aadhaar is not a compulsory or the only acceptable identity proof for voters. As detailed later, you need two sets of documents to cast your vote, and you can use your Aadhaar card as the secondary document to establish your identity, but there are other options as well.

Likewise, Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), also known as voter’s ID cards is also not a mandatory document but can be used as a photo identity at the booth among other things. In fact, the only mandatory document is the photo voter slip, handed over to each voter in person by the block level officer at least five days prior to the polling, is the only compulsory document that has no substitute.

List of documents required to vote

The purpose of carrying official documents to a polling booth is that the voter’s identity is established beyond doubt. This is an important step in ensuring free and fair elections as bogus voting is one of the main concerns flagged by political parties during polling.

Click here for detailed coverage of Assembly Elections 2019

And a two-level check is adopted to establish that. First, every registered voter must produce their photo voter slip, which is distributed at least five days before polling takes place. Second, one must also carry a photo ID proof. It is important to note that the photo voter slip is a mandatory document, but will not suffice as a standalone proof of identity. A voter must produce a second photo ID, as specified in the list below.

• EPIC (Voter ID card)
• 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 (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee)
• Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour
• Pension document with a photograph
• Official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs
• Aadhaar Card

How to apply for voter ID card

If a person does not have a voter ID card, they can use other documents specified by the Election Commission. Presently, the EPIC coverage in final electoral rolls of the states of Haryana and Maharashtra are 100 percent and 98.61 percent respectively. However, to apply for one, you need the following documents:

• A filled voter registration form
• Copy of proof of residence
• Copy of proof of age and identity
• Two recent passport-size photographs

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