Voters must carry epic and other authenticated photo identity during polling: CEO

Chandigarh, August 12, 2014: To prevent impersonation and to make the right of genuine electors to vote under sections 61 and 62 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has appealed that all electors, who have been issued Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) should produce their EPIC for the identification at the polling station before casting their votes for the by-elections of Patiala and Talwandi Sabo assembly constituencies.
Divulging other details, V.K. Singh, Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab today said that those electors, who are not able to produce the EPIC, would produce one of the alternative photo identity document for establishing their identity i.e. Passport, Driving License, Service Identity Cards with photograph 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.
He said that in the case of EPIC, clerical errors and spelling mistakes etc. should be ignored provided the identity of the electoral could be established by the EPIC. If an elector produces an EPIC issued by the Electoral Registration Office of another assembly constituency, such EPIC would also be accepted for identification provided the name of that elector finds place in the electoral roll pertaining to the polling station, where the elector has turned up for voting. If it is not possible to establish the identity of the elector on account of mismatch of photograph etc., the elector will have to produce one of the above alternative photo documents.
CEO further said that notwithstanding any alternative photo identity documents, overseas electors, who have registered in the electoral rolls under section 20-A of the RP Act, based on the particulars in their passport, would be identified on the basis of their original passport only (and no other identity documents) in the polling station.