Dubai: The Election Commission of India has declared the schedule for2024 Lok Sabha elections. The voting for Lok Sabha election 2024 will start from April 19. It will end on June 1. The counting of votes will take place on 4 June. The voting schedule has been divided into 7 stages over 44 days.
Indian expatriates residing in the UAE can register as a voter. Non-resident Indians (NRIs) can now register to vote online or offline, but they must be physically present in their respective constituency to vote.
Until2010, NRIs were not allowed to exercise their right to vote during the elections. An amendment to the Representation of People (Amendment) Act, 2010 granted voting rights to the NRIs.
For an NRI to get voting rights, they must:
Possess a valid Indian passport.
Be 18 years of age as on January 1 in the year electoral roll is published in their constituency in India
How to register as an overseas voter:
Online registration:
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Visit the Election Commission of India or voter portal service website.
Select your state or union territory and go to the state election commission section.
Choose Form 6A and download.
You can also get Form 6A from the Indian Mission in the country of your residence.
Scan the filled form and affix a passport size coloured photograph on it.
Scan self-attested photocopies of the passport pages having your photograph, your house address in India and other details. Also, scan the page with the valid visa endorsement.
Create a login on the ECI website and upload the scanned form.
In case you want to apply post, you need to send a signed copy of Form 6A and self-attested copies of the requisite documents to the address of the electoral district officer in India. The address can be found on the ECI website.
Later, the application will be scrutinised.
For verification, the electoral registration officer will send a booth level officer of the polling area for field verification. The latter will visit your home address in India, as mentioned in the passport, for the purpose of enquiry.
In case you have no relatives to give a declaration for verification of your documents, or if the officer is not satisfied with the verification, the documents will be sent for verification to the Indian Mission in the country where you reside.
The final decision of the electoral registration officer will reach you by post on the address in the foreign country specified in Form 6A, and also by SMS if you have given a mobile number in the form.
As an NRI, you will find your name in a separate section for ‘Overseas Electors’ on the ECI website. This is the last section on the roll of that particular part/polling station area of the constituency that corresponds to your home address as in your passport.
NRIs are not issued an Electors Photo Identity card (EPIC) and are required to vote in person at the respective polling station upon producing their original passport.
Offline registration:
Visit the electoral registration office
Fill out Form 6A
Submit the requisite documents: including a recent passport-size coloured photograph, self-attested photocopies of relevant passport pages, address in India, and visa endorsement
You will need to show your passport for verification
Submit your application
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