How to check your name in the voters’ list, and what to do if it’s not there

If you are older and have voted earlier, or if you have at least enrolled yourself to vote (even if you did not actually cast your vote the last time elections took place), your name should be in the voters’ list of your constituency. This is provided you have not moved since then, and you do not now live in a different constituency.

If you have moved since the last time you voted, and you have not updated your address with the Election Commission of India (in the Voter ID), your name will not appear in the electoral roll of the constituency that you now live in.

Your name may still appear in your old constituency; however, many names are struck off the rolls during annual revisions. Duplicate entries, that is entries of the same person from two different addresses, are also deleted.

In any case, you should check your name in the voters’ list. You can do this online; here’s how, and where.

But first, you must know the date when you will vote.

The Lok Sabha elections are happening in seven phases. Votes will be cast on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.

Several states will vote in multiple phases. Contiguous areas may vote in different phases (that is, on different days) — therefore, if you live in Delhi or Gurgaon, you will vote only in the sixth phase, on May 25; however, if you live in Noida (Gautam Buddha Nagar) or Ghaziabad, you will vote a month earlier in the second phase, on April 26.

You can check the all-India map of election voting dates [https://www.eci.gov.in/newimg/ge2024.png] on the website of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

How can I check if I am on the electoral roll?

There are multiple ways to do so. You can check on the website of the ECI, [electoralsearch.eci.gov.in] or on the ECI’s Voter Helpline app.

On the site, you can look up your name (i) by your Voter ID, which in ECI jargon is called “EPIC”, or Elector’s Photo Identification Card, (ii) by your mobile phone number, or (iii) by your personal details such as name, date of birth, etc.

If you have your voter ID handy, checking by the number on the card is the easiest. If your mobile number is registered with the ECI, that’s convenient too. You will get an OTP on your phone, which you have to enter to obtain the details.

The third way, checking through personal details, may create a problem in returning a response if the Voter ID has a mistake — such as an error in the spelling of your name or that of your father/ husband. Ideally, you should get the mistake or inconsistency corrected, but it may be difficult for some to do it for the coming election.

What information about myself will I find on the electoral roll?

The information is available in separate columns: EPIC Number, Name, Age, Relative (Father’s/Husband’s) name, State, District, Assembly constituency (each Lok Sabha constituency is made up of several Assembly constituencies or segments), Polling station, etc.

What can I do if my name is not on the rolls?

For those who have been registered voters earlier but now can’t find their names in the rolls, there is still time to apply to become a voter for Phases 3 to 7 of the Lok Sabha elections.

The ECI carries out continuous updates to the electoral roll till the last date of nominations for the respective phase. In the case of phase 1, the last date for nominations was March 27. The last date for nominations for phase 2 was on April 4. And for phases 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, the last dates for nominations are April 19, April 25, May 3, May 6, and May 14 respectively.

However, ECI officials advise that you should apply to have your name included in the electoral roll at least seven days before the last date of nomination so as to give enough time for the form to be processed.

There are various forms for various requirements of voters. You can access the form that applies to you on the relevant page of the ECI’s website. [https://voters.eci.gov.in/]

How should a new voter — someone who has just turned 18, or who has never voted before — go about getting their name in the voter’s list?

To register as a voter, you must fill in Form 6, which is available on the ECI website along with the other forms. You can fill this form online after signing up using your mobile phone number or email address.

Apart from filling in details like name, gender, address, date of birth and relative (father, mother, husband or wife), the applicant will have to give a self-attested copy of any one of the following documents to prove date of birth: birth certificate issued by competent local body/ municipal authority/ registrar of births and deaths; Aadhaar or PAN; driving licence; certificates of Class X or Class XII issued by CBSE/ ICSE or state education boards if it contains date of birth; and Indian passport.

A self-attested copy of address proof is also needed. One of several documents can be submitted for this purpose, including water/ electricity/ gas connection bill for that address for at least one year, current passbook of nationalised/ scheduled bank/ post office, an Indian passport, a registered rent-lease deed in case of a tenant, or a registered sale deed in case of own house.