Voter identity cards are all set to go digital as the Election Commission (EC) will launch the e-EPIC (Electronic Electoral Photo Identity Card) on January 25, which is the National Voters Day. The digital version of voter identity card can be downloaded on a mobile phone or a personal computer and can be digitally stored.
The digital version e-EPIC is a non-editable secure portable document format (PDF) version of the EPIC and will have a secured QR code with image and demographics like serial number, part number, etc. This is in addition to physical IDs being issued for fresh registration. The digitalisation of voter-ID card will have a special significance in the upcoming polls in five states — Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
In a statement, the EC said that a function will be organized at Ashok hotel where Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will launch the e-EPIC programme, and distribute e-EPICs to five new voters. President Ram Nath Kovind will be the Chief Guest at the national function.
Under the e-EPIC programme, new voters will get the facility after downloading the card on a registered mobile connection. Once the approval by competent authorities for a new application for a voter card is provided, the applicant can get it in digital format.
The digital version of EPIC can be accessed through the Voter Helpline App and websites https://voterportal.eci.gov.in/ and https://www.nvsp.in/. The e-EPIC would be a non-editable PDF of the EPIC that can be downloaded on the phone and stored on the DigiLocker app or self-printed from a computer.
According to the EC, the digital version of voter identity card will be launched in two phases. In the first phase (January 25-31), new voters who have applied for the voter-ID card and registered their mobile numbers in Form-6 will be able to download the e-EPIC by simply authenticating their mobile number. In the second phase that will begin from February 1, general voters can apply for e-EPIC. “All those who have given their mobile numbers (linked one) they can also download their e-EPIC.
According to the plan, on the digital format of the EPIC there will be two different QR codes consisting of information about the voter. One QR code will have the voter’s name and other specific details while the second code will have the voter’s other information. On the basis of the data stashed in the QR codes in the downloaded version of the EPIC, voting rights can be availed.