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Enroll now to vote in this election! Here's how

March 06, 2014 12:42 IST
Voters wait to cast their ballots in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

The last date is March 9, 2014. HURRY!

First-time voters or those who don't have their names on the voters' list or electoral rolls yet, you have time till March 9, 2014 to register yourself with the Election Commission of India and exercise your right to vote in the forthcoming general and assembly elections that begin April 7, 2014.

A step-by-step guide to register as a first time general voter as mentioned on the Election Commission of India Web site.

While you can opt for the traditional offline method of registering as a voter, the Election Commission of India now also offers you an opportunity to register online.

How to register online

You can now register online here: http://eci-citizenservices.nic.in/frmmobileverification.aspx?type=FORM6

Once you proceed with details like your mobile number and e-mail ID, you get a verification code on your mobile phone. After you submit the code you go to Form 6 (see here to get an idea: http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/forms/FORM6.pdf), fill it up online and submit it.

Form 6 answers all the questions first-time voters would have along with a list of documents required you need to scan and upload.

Once you file and upload Form 6 online along with a scanned copy of your photographs, necessary documents to prove your birth date and residential address, the Election Registration Officer will send a booth level officer to check and verify the authenticity of your documents.

After this verification id done without any hitch your name will get registered as a voter in the electoral list.

To check the list of documents that are accepted as proof of your age and residence (those who stay on rent can produce latest registered rent agreement), please click here: http://eci-citizenservices.nic.in/Guideline/FormNo6_english.pdf.

If you are registering online, please keep these things in mind before you set out to become a first-time voter:

How to register offline

For those who hate doing things online, here's what you need to do.

Download a copy of Form 6 (http://linkdata.rediff.com/1393928905259.htm), head to the Election Registration Office nearest to your residence (find it here: http://eci-citizenservices.nic.in/frmPublicInformation.aspx?Flag=officerContact) with the originals of your proof of residence and birth along with their respective photocopies and one photograph (keep one more at hand just to err on the side of caution).

For students residing at their place of study or hostel away from their residence

Such students have the option to either enroll at the place of their residence or college/university.

They have to just attach a bonafide certificate as mentioned in Annexure II from the headmaster/principal /director /registrar /dean of the educational institution with Form 6.

For Annexure II specimen scroll down to the bottom of this pdf file here: http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/forms/FORM6.pdf.

The responsibility to submit this declaration to the nearest Election Registration Officer, though, rests with the students.

If such a student opts to enroll as a voter at the place of her/his residence then s/he can register either online or offline as mentioned above.