Indians Living Abroad Can Now Become Voters

To connect Indian citizens living abroad with the democratic process, the Election Commission of India has introduced a special arrangement. Such Indian citizens can register their names only in the electoral roll of the Assembly constituency corresponding to the address mentioned in their passport.

For this purpose, applications can be submitted to the concerned Electoral Registration Officer through Form 6A via online mode, offline submission, or by post. Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa stated that Indian citizens who have not acquired the citizenship of any other country and are residing abroad due to employment, education, or other reasons are eligible to become voters.

If the applicant’s name is already registered as a general voter and a Voter Photo Identity Card (EPIC) has been issued earlier, it is mandatory to surrender the EPIC along with Form 6A.

To facilitate overseas Indian voters, Form 6A will be made available to their family members residing in the state through the Booth Level Officer (BLO).

Once their name is included in the electoral roll, overseas Indian electors become fully eligible to vote. However, they are not issued a Voter Photo Identity Card. On the day of polling, their identity will be verified solely on the basis of their original passport, which must be carried to the polling station.