It's okay, you can still vote if you don't have an Electors Photo Identity Card

HYDERABAD: Never mind, if you do not have a voter card. If you are unable to produce the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) at the polling booth on the elections day, you will still be allowed to vote. It will be enough if you produce any one of the several alternate photo identity documents that the Election Commission of India (EC) has specified in its notification.

The documents include: Passport, driving licence, service identity cards with photographs issued to employees by central/state government PSUs/public limited companies, passbooks with photograph issued by bank/post office, Pan card, Aadhar card, smart card issued by RGI under NPR, MNREGA Job card, health insurance smart card issued under the scheme of ministry of labour, pension document with photograph, and authenticated photo voter slip issued by the election machinery.

The EC secretary Ashish Chakraborty has also instructed officials that overseas electors who are registered in the electoral rolls under section 20A of the Representation of People Act, 1950, based on the particulars of their passport, shall be identified on the basis of their original passport only, and no other identity document, in the polling station.

It has also been made clear to officials that in case of EPICs, clerical errors and spelling mistakes should be ignored provided the identity of the elector can be established by the EPIC. Even if it is not possible to establish the identity of the elector on account of mismatch of photograph, the elector will have to produce one of the alternative photo documents that the EC has said which will be allowed.