Voters can check names in electoral roll March 9

Special camps will be held across the country by the Election Commission March 9 so that voters can check if their names are present in the electoral rolls, Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath said Wednesday.

"The commission has received complaints that some people having EPIC (Elector Photo Identity Card) have in the past been denied the right to vote because their names were not found in the electoral rolls," Sampath said.

The camps will be organised March 9 in all polling stations, where booth officers will have the electoral rolls displayed, with requisite number of application forms.

"We appeal to those who want to confirm their names to avail of this opportunity before the election, so that if any people want to get enrolled can file applications," he said.

The commission also clarified that only those people will be allowed to vote at a polling station who are enrolled in the electoral roll there.

"EPIC is only an identity document and does not confer the right to vote on any person whose name is not in the electoral roll," the chief election commissioner said.

The commission also made it clear that the law does not allow inclusion of names in the electoral rolls after 3 p.m. on the last date of filing nominations, till the electoral process is complete.

"All people are therefore advised that they must check that their names are in the electoral rolls".

Voters can check their names on the website of the chief electoral officers. Names can also be checked through SMS through numbers provided by state election commissions.

"If the name of any person eligible to be enrolled is left out for some reason or has been wrongly deleted, such a person should immediately fill an application for inclusion of the name in Form 6 and hand it over to the booth level officer," he said.