Identity & Civil Registration#019

Understanding Voter ID (EPIC) — new enrolment / correction / transfer / deletion

At a glance

Jurisdiction

All of India

Who applies

Indian citizens aged 18 and above applying for new Voter ID, or existing voters seeking correction, transfer, or deletion of entry

Typical time

New enrolment: 4–6 weeks. Correction / transfer: 3–4 weeks. Deletion: 2–3 weeks after verification.

Fee

Free (no government fee for any form under EPIC)

Who should use this process

✓Must be an Indian citizen aged 18 years or above as of the qualifying date (1 January of the year of revision, or the relevant cut-off date for special summary revision)
✓Must be ordinarily resident at the address mentioned in the application
✓Name must not already appear in the electoral roll in any other constituency
✓For transfer: must have actually shifted residence; old entry must be deleted upon registration at new place

Who does NOT need to apply

✕Non-citizens, including OCI and PIO card holders, are not entitled to be registered as voters
✕Persons of unsound mind as declared by a competent court are excluded
✕Persons disqualified under any law in force relating to corrupt practices or election offences are excluded

Documents required

#	Document	Type needed	Purpose
1	Proof of Age — any one: Birth certificate, PAN card, Passport, SSLC/10th marksheet, Aadhaar card	Self-attested Copy	Establishes that the applicant is 18 years or above as on the qualifying date
2	Proof of Residence — any one: Bank passbook with photo, Passport, Latest utility bill (electricity/water/telephone), Aadhaar card, Registered rent / lease agreement	Self-attested Copy	Establishes ordinary residency at the claimed address in the constituency
3	Recent passport-size photograph	Soft copy (PDF)	Printed on the EPIC card; must be a clear frontal face photo with white background
4	Existing EPIC card (for correction or transfer applications)(optional)Required only for Forms 8 (correction/transfer) and Form 7 (deletion)	Self-attested Copy	Identifies the existing voter record to be corrected, transferred, or marked for deletion
5	Death certificate of deceased voter (for deletion under Form 7)(optional)Required when a family member applies for deletion of a deceased voter's name	Self-attested Copy	Evidences the death of a voter whose name is to be removed from the roll

Original documents: Carry originals only for in-person visits — do not hand them over permanently unless explicitly required.

Step-by-step guide

1
Select the correct form on the Voter Portal
Online
Visit voterportal.eci.gov.in or the Voter Helpline App. Choose the appropriate form: Form 6 (new enrolment / inclusion after attaining 18), Form 6A (overseas voter), Form 8 (correction of particulars / transposition / migration to another constituency), Form 7 (objection or deletion). Log in or register using mobile OTP.
https://voterportal.eci.gov.in
2
Fill and submit the form with documents
Both
Complete all mandatory fields, upload a recent passport-size photo and self-attested copies of age and address proofs. Review the draft and submit. You receive an application reference number via SMS/email. Alternatively, download the paper form and submit it to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Booth Level Officer (BLO) offline.
Booth Level Officer (BLO) / Electoral Registration Officer (ERO)
3
Field verification by BLO
Offline
The Booth Level Officer (BLO) visits the applicant's address to verify residential details. The BLO may also call the applicant on the registered mobile. If not found at the address during the visit, the application may be rejected unless the applicant responds to a notice.
Usually within 1–2 weeks of submissionBooth Level Officer (BLO)
4
Review period and opportunity to object
Both
During the annual Special Summary Revision or continuous enrolment windows, claims and objections are published. Any person may file an objection (Form 7) against a proposed inclusion within the prescribed period. The ERO considers objections before finalising the roll.
Objection window: as notified by ECI (typically 30 days during revision)Electoral Registration Officer (ERO)
5
ERO approves and roll is updated
Online
After field verification and any objection period, the ERO accepts or rejects the application and updates the draft electoral roll. Applicants can track status online using the application reference number on the Voter Portal.
Electoral Registration Officer (ERO)https://voterportal.eci.gov.in
6
EPIC card printed and delivered
Both
Once the electoral roll is finalised, the EPIC (Voter ID card) is printed and dispatched to the applicant's address by BLO or post. Applicants can also collect it from the ERO office. The e-EPIC (digital PDF) can be downloaded immediately from the Voter Portal on approval.
4–6 weeks from approvalhttps://voterportal.eci.gov.in

Government officers involved

Booth Level Officer (BLO)

District Election Office (under Chief Electoral Officer)

Steps 2–3 and 6

First point of contact; conducts field verification of address and delivers EPIC card

Electoral Registration Officer (ERO)

District Collector's Office / District Election Office

Steps 4–5

Quasi-judicial authority; decides inclusion, correction, transposition, and deletion of names on the electoral roll

Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO)

District Election Office

Steps 2–5

Assists ERO; processes corrections, transfers, and deletions under ERO's oversight

Government portals

Voter Helpline Portal (ECI)

https://voterportal.eci.gov.in

Submit Forms 6 / 6A / 7 / 8, track application status, download e-EPIC, search name in electoral roll

Voter Helpline App (National Voter Service Portal)

https://www.nvsp.in

Alternative portal for voter registration forms and EPIC download

Election Commission of India

https://www.eci.gov.in

Official ECI website; access election schedules, CEO contact details, voter education resources

Things to watch out for

Qualifying date determines eligibility, not application date

Eligibility is determined as of 1 January of the revision year (or the cut-off date announced for Special Summary Revision). Turning 18 after the qualifying date means you must wait for the next revision or the continuous enrolment window that covers your 18th birthday.

Do not leave old constituency without completing transfer

If you shift to a new constituency, submit Form 8 for transposition. Voting from an incorrect constituency is unlawful and applications in the new constituency may be held up until the old entry is deleted. The BLO at the old address will verify the deletion.

BLO visit is mandatory — ensure someone is home

If the BLO cannot verify the residence (nobody at home, address unrecognised), the application will be rejected or marked pending. Track your application and call the BLO proactively using the helpline 1950 if no visit happens within two weeks.

Name on Voter ID must match other identity documents

Discrepancies between the name on your EPIC and your Aadhaar/PAN/Passport create problems for Aadhaar-Voter ID linking (mandatory under RP Act Section 23(4)). File Form 8 correction immediately if you notice a mismatch.

e-EPIC is legally valid but photo format matters

The e-EPIC PDF downloaded from voterportal.eci.gov.in is legally valid for voting and KYC. However, the uploaded photograph must be a clear, recent, frontal-face image. Poor-quality photos are a common cause of rejection and resubmission.

Aadhaar–Voter ID linking is voluntary but encouraged

ECI has launched Form 6B for voluntarily linking Aadhaar with voter records to eliminate duplicate entries. Refusal will not lead to deletion of voter registration, but linking helps authenticate and clean rolls.