Lok Sabha Election 2024: NRI And Above 18? Here's How To Enroll And Vote In India!

India is set to be busy for its general election which will begin from April 19 onward and continue till June 1, 2024. Every vote is important! Many of us must have heard this phrase quite frequently as the Lok Sabha election nears. Indeed, every vote counts and matters to shape the next 5 years of the country's economic and fundamental growth. Hence, it is the responsibility of every Indian citizen above the legal voting age, 18 years of old, must fulfil.

But what happens when you're not staying in India? Can NRIs above the age of 18 years vote during the Lok Sabha Election 2024? Yes, they can and the process is quite easy too!

As per the Election Commission Of India website, overseas electors/NRIs can enrol for voting in the Indian elections, if he or she is a citizen of India, absent from the country owing to employment, education etc. This also means that these NRIs or overseas electors have not acquired citizenship of any other country and are otherwise eligible to be registered as a voter at the address mentioned in your passport.

How To Enroll?

Overseas electors and NRIs can invest by following a few easy steps.

1. Use Voter Portal, which is an interactive map to find your polling station and the contact details of Election Officers from your area. The portal is https://voterportal.eci.gov.in/

2. Fill Form 6A online athttps://voterportal.eci.gov.in/and upload the requisite proofs.

3. Alternatively download Form 6A from the ECI websitewww.eci.gov.in. FillForm 6A in 2 copies. Forms are also available free of cost in Indian Missions.

4. One recent passport-size coloured photograph affixed in Form 6A. Self-attested photocopies of the relevant pages of the passport containing a photograph, address in India and all others. The page of the passport containing the valid visa endorsement

5. If the application is sent by post, the photocopy of each of the documents referred to above, should be duly self-attested.

6. Alternatively you can fill the form in person at the Electoral Registration Officer / Assistant ERO of the constituency. If the application is submitted in person before the ERO, the original passport should be produced for verification.

7. The Booth Level Officer will visit the home address mentioned in your passport and enquire to verify the copies of the documents.

8. In cases where no relative is available or willing to give a declaration for verification of documents, the documents will be sent for verification to the concerned Indian Mission.

9. The decision of the ERO will be communicated to you by post at the address and SMS on the mobile number given in Form 6A. Electoral rolls are also on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer.

10. The name of the overseas elector is included in a separate section for "Overseas Electors" which is the last section of the roll of each polling station area. Lastly, you can use Form-8 to make any corrections in the electoral roll.

However, before you enrol as an NRI, you need to keep a few key pointers in mind. They are:

Firstly, no person can be enrolled on more than one electoral roll i.e. when you enrol as an overseas voter you have to submit a declaration - that you did not get enrolled as a general elector.

Secondly, if you are registered as a general voter, you should surrender your EPIC along with submission of Form 6A. Also, when you return to India you can register as a general elector at your place of ordinary residence.

Finally, remember that you have only one vote. Accordingly, you should not vote for more than one candidate.

How To Vote?

Overseas investors can vote following two easy steps. These are:

1. An overseas elector is not issued an EPIC & you will be allowed to vote in person at the polling station on production of your original passport.

2. However, e-postal ballots shall soon be provided to NRI Voters.

Voting will be held for the election of 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha from April 19 to June 1. The elections will be carried out in seven phases, while the outcomes of the polling will be announced on June 4, 2024.