Voter ID cards to be delivered within 15 days under new EC regulations

The Election Commission of India said that electors will also receive notifications via SMS at each stage, keeping them informed about the status of their EPICs

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday said that it has rolled out a new set of rules aimed at ensuring that voter identification cards are delivered to voters within 15 days of any update in the electoral rolls, including fresh enrolments or changes in existing records.

 

Until now, the voter ID card delivery took almost 30 days or more. The move is part of the Commission’s efforts to improve voter convenience and streamline electoral services.

 

Under the new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), each stage of the Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) issuance process will be tracked in real-time—from generation by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) to final delivery via the Department of Posts (DoP). "Electors will also receive notifications via SMS at each stage, keeping them informed about the status of their EPICs," ECI said in a statement on Wednesday.

 

To support this rollout, the ECI added that it has introduced a dedicated IT module on its ECINet platform. "The new IT platform will replace the existing process by re-engineering the current system and streamlining the workflow. DoP’s Application Programme Interface (API) will be integrated with the ECINet for seamless delivery," the commission said, adding that the initiative is intended to enhance service delivery while maintaining data security.

 

"The initiative is in line with the various measures being undertaken by the ECI for the convenience of electors as envisaged by the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshi," the commission added.