NRI Voting Rights

It is clarified that every Indian citizen residing in a foreign country, who has not acquired citizenship of a foreign country and has completed 18 years as on 1st January of the year, can make an application in form 6 A for being registered in the roll for the constituency pertaining to the locality in which his place of residence in India as mentioned in the passport is located. The application in Form 6 A can be presented to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) concerned. Particulars and addresses of these EROs and form 6 A, along with guidelines for filling up the form, can be obtained from the official website of the Election Commission of India http://eci.nic.in.

The application forms should be sent directly to the Electoral Registration Officers(ERO)s of the constituency within which the place of ordinary residence of the applicant (as given in the valid passport) falls. One recent passport size coloured photograph (with a light background and showing the full face of the applicant), self-attested photocopies of relevant pages of passport containing the photograph and all other particulars of the applicant as also the page containing a valid visa endorsement are required to be submitted with the duly filled-in application forms.

It is further clarified that once enrolled, an Indian national living abroad will be able to cast vote in the election in the particular constituency for which one would have to be physically present on the day of election at the polling station along with the original passport.

If the application is submitted in person before the ERO, the application should be accompanied by a photocopy of the relevant pages of the passport as mentioned above. The original passport should also be produced along with the application for verification by the ERO. The passport will be returned immediately after verification.
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