Lok Sabha Elections 2019 : Here’s the list of ID documents approved by ECI for voters

The Election Commission on Thursday said a photo voter slip shall no longer be used as a standalone identification document during elections, and a voter will have to carry any of the twelve approved identity cards to the polling station. The EC order said the decision has been taken after representations were made to it against the use of these slips as they do not have any security feature. They are printed after the finalisation of the roll and distributed just close to the poll through booth level officers (BLOs).

The documents include – passports, Aadhaar document (the relevant parts of which many Indians have snipped out and made into Aadhaar cards), driving licences and PAN cards, among others.

The EC in its order informed that during the Lok Sabha elections, the poll conducting body would allow voters to exercise their democratic rights through state and central government employees, state-owned companies, and public limited companies; passbooks with photograph issued by banks or post offices; and smart cards issued by the Registrar General of India under the National Population Register.

Also, the EC would accept Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) job cards; health insurance smart cards issued under the scheme of the ministry of labour; pension documents with photographs; and the official identity cards issued to members of Parliament, members of legislative assemblies, and members of legislative councils.

These identification cards can be used, in addition to the previously allowed identity cards. Also, the EC informed that it’s official would ‘overlook’ minor discrepancies in EPICs during the Lok Sabha elections, provided the identity of an elector can be established by it.

It said, “If an elector produces an EPIC which has been issued by the electoral registration officer of another assembly constituency, such a card shall also be accepted for identification, provided the name of that elector finds place in the electoral roll pertaining to the polling station where the elector has turned up for voting.”