Voting Rights of Non-Resident Indians

Every Non-Resident citizen of India, who has attained the age of 18 years as on first January of the year, and is otherwise eligible to be registered as a voter, can make an application in Form 6A for being registered as a voter in the roll of the polling area of the constituency where he is ordinarily resident, as mentioned in his/her passport.

(Form 6A can be freely downloaded from the website of Election Commission of India, at http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/forms/Form-6A.pdf)

GUIDELINES FOR FILLING UP THE APPLICATIONFORM-6A

Who can file Form-6A?

1. Every Indian citizen staying in a foreign country, who has not acquired citizenship of a foreign country, and has completed 18 years as on 1stJanuary of the year, can make an application in Form 6A for being registered in the roll for the constituency pertaining to the locality in which his place of residence in India as mentioned in the passport is located.

2. The applicant should have completed eighteen years of age as on 1st January of the year. For example, if the application is for inclusion of name in the electoral roll with reference to 01-01-2011 as the qualifying date, the applicant should have completed 18 years as on 01-01-2011.

Where to submit the application in Form-6A

3. The application should be submitted directly to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of the constituency within which the place of ordinary residence of the applicant as given in the valid passport falls. The Application in Form 6A can be presented in person to the ERO or sent by post addressed to the ERO concerned.

[The particulars and postal address of the EROs of all the constituencies of India can be seen on the website of Election Commission of India (http://eci.nic.in)]

Documents to be attached

4. Paste one recent passport size coloured photograph with a light background (preferably white) showing the full face of the applicant.

5. Fill in all the columns in Form-6A. Write your name and other particulars as given in the valid Indian Passport.

6. If application is sent by post, it should be accompanied by photo - copy of the relevant pages of the passport containing the photograph and all other particulars of the applicant and the page containing the valid visa endorsement. These photo-copies should be duly self-attested. Applications without the attested photo-copies of these documents will be liable to be summarily rejected.

7. If the application is submitted in person before the ERO, the application should be accompanied by a photo-copy of the relevant pages of the passport as mentioned above. The original passport should also be produced along with the application for verification by the registration officer. The passport will be returned immediately after verification.

Voting

8. It may be noted that after your enrolment, you will be able to cast vote in election in the constituency, if you are physically present in the polling station along with your original passport on the day of poll.NRI Electors can vote in person at the Polling Stations in India, where they are enrolled as an elector. There is no provision of voting by post, or voting at an Indian Mission abroad. There is no provision of online voting.

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