The Election Commission has relaxed the rule of compulsory requirement of election photo identity card (EPIC) to cast vote by allowing production of alternative identity cards recognised by it for lok Sabha polls 2014.
The Commission has provided recognition to 11 alternative photo identity records, in the absence of EPIC. The alternative photo identity records recognised by the ECI are passport, driving licence, photo identity card issued by State/Central Government/public undertakings and public limited companies to its employees, photographed passbook issued by bank or post office, PAN card, Aadhar Card, National Population Register, MNREGA job card, health insurance smart card issued through labour Ministry scheme, photographed pension record, certified photo voter slip issued through election system.
The EC, in its letter issued to the chief electoral officers of all the states and Union territories, has ordered that none of the citizens named in the voter’s list should be deprived of his right to vote in the absence of EPIC, and they should be allowed to exercise their franchise, based on any of the alternative identity records recognized by the EC.
In the letter, it has been said that out of the total registered voters of the country, more than 97 per cent have been issued photo voter identity card. Even then, the voters who have not received the EPIC due to any reason, to ensure their right to vote, arrangement has been made based on the alternative identity records.
The Commission said that on getting assured of the identification of the voters clerical mistakes etc in the EPIC should be ignored. If the voter presents EPIC issued by the Electoral Registration Officer of any other constituency, such EPIC should be accepted for establishment of identity, on the condition that the name of the voter should be registered in the electoral roll of that place.
If the identity of the voter is not possible to be established due to distorted photograph, the voter should produce any one of the 11 alternative photo records recognized by the ECI. If the resident electorate, whose name is registered in the electoral roll based on the details given in his passport under Section 20 B of the Representation of the People Act, he shall be identified on the basis of his original passport.