ECI allows youth above 17 years to apply for voter ID cards | Fusion - WeRIndia

The right to vote is granted to individuals aged above 18 years. As per current provisions, individuals have to wait till they turn 18 to register as voters.

In other words, only individuals turning 18 years of age on or before January 1 of a specific year are eligible to register as voters. All others turning 18 years after January 1 have to wait for one more year to become eligible for registering as voters.

But, now, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that all individuals aged above 17 years could apply in advance to register as voters.

It will save their precious time. They need not wait until they turn 18 to register as voters and can register immediately on turning 18.

The new rule allows youth to register as a voter four times a year. With this, they can register on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 after they turn 18. So, if they miss the registration one time, they can do it the next time.

The poll panel directed the concerned officials of all states to work out tech-enabled solutions. It asked them to make necessary changes in this regard.  They should help all individuals above 17 years to apply in advance to register as voters.

The ECI issued a statement saying that youngsters aged above 17 years can use the opportunity.

As the electoral roll will be updated four times a year, i.e. every quarter, all eligible young individuals can register in the next quarter on turning 18. Thus, they don’t need to wait for one more year to register as voters as it is happening at present.

Those who will be turning 18 in 2023 can submit their applications in advance for registration as voters. The ECI also proposed the linking of voter ID cards with Aadhaar cards.

Image by mohamed hassan from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Reference: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1444335