Before every election, every Indian citizen of voting age (18+) needs to confirm two things:

1. Are you on the electoral roll for your current address?
2. Which polling booth must you go to on voting day?

The Election Commission of India (ECI) maintains the electoral roll under Section 13B of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (constitution of electoral roll for each constituency). The roll is revised twice a year by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). The Conduct of Elections Rules 1961 govern polling station assignment.

Even if you have a voter ID (EPIC) card from 5 years ago, your name could be silently deleted during a revision — for shifting, death, duplicate, or “verification failed” reasons. About 2-4% of names are removed in each major revision (ECI summary data). You cannot vote if your name is not on the current roll, even if you have the EPIC card in hand.

• Web: https://voters.eci.gov.in (the Voter Service Portal, replaced erstwhile NVSP since August 2024)
• App: Voter Helpline (Google Play / Apple App Store) — same database, mobile UI
• Helpline: dial 1950 from any phone (state-specific routing)

1. Voter portal homepage → Search in Electoral Roll
2. Click tab Search by EPIC
3. Enter EPIC number (the 10-character alphanumeric on your voter ID)
4. Choose State
5. Captcha → Search

Result: name, age, gender, AC name + number, polling booth name + address, BLO name + mobile, ERO contact.

1. Search by Details tab
2. State + District + Assembly Constituency (AC)
3. First name, surname, age or DOB, gender, father/husband name (any 2 of the last 4)
4. Captcha → Search

Result: list of matches. Click your row to see EPIC, polling booth, and download e-EPIC PDF.

If your mobile is registered with EPIC (since 2022 most BLO surveys captured this):

1. Voter portal → Login → Mobile → enter mobile + OTP
2. Dashboard → My Profile shows EPIC, AC, polling booth
3. Or Know Your Booth → mobile + OTP

1. Portal → Polling Station locator → enter PIN code
2. Returns list of all polling booths in that PIN
3. Each booth shows AC name, booth number, address, sections covered

This is useful if your booth has changed due to delimitation or extra-booth creation.

1. On your search-result page → Download e-EPIC (free PDF, valid for all KYC purposes from 2021 ECI Notification)
2. Save in DigiLocker for easy access on polling day

Carry EPIC or any of these alternatives (ECI permits 12 alternative ID documents — Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence, govt employee ID, MGNREGA card, bank passbook with photo, smart card from Min of Labour, health insurance card, pension docu with photo, MP/MLA card, learning licence). You vote at the polling booth shown in the search result — not where you live, not where you used to vote.

Form    Use                                      Where to file
---------------------------------------------------------------
Form 6   New voter registration / shifted        voters.eci.gov.in (online or BLO)
Form 6A  Overseas Indian voter                   voters.eci.gov.in
Form 7   Objection / deletion request            voters.eci.gov.in (any citizen can file)
Form 8   Correction (name, age, address, etc.)   voters.eci.gov.in
Form 8B  Polling-booth shift (within AC)         BLO / ERO office
---------------------------------------------------------------
SLA: All forms acted on within 30 days, or before next revision cut-off
Fee: All forms FREE
EPIC reprint: Rs 25 (offline at ERO office)
e-EPIC download: FREE

1. Name not found despite voting in last election (about 25% of citizen complaints during 2024 LS). Reason: bulk deletion drive marked you as “shifted” or “duplicate” without verification.
2. Polling booth changed in delimitation. New booths get created when a section grows past 1,400 voters. Always re-check booth before each election.
3. Multiple records with same name — common for popular names. The system shows all matches; you must identify yours by DOB or father's name.
4. PIN code mismatch between Aadhaar address and electoral roll address. Roll uses census-style address blocks, not postal PIN. Search by district + AC instead of PIN.
5. AC boundary changed post-delimitation (last in 2008, but state-level redrawing can happen). Your old AC may not exist now.
6. EPIC issued but never mapped — happens for new voters whose Form 6 was approved but the polling-booth assignment is pending. Check with BLO.
7. Name spelling differs between EPIC card and electoral roll (BLO transcription error). File Form 8 to correct.
8. Duplicate flag — if you registered in two different ACs (after shifting and forgetting to delete the old one), one or both may be deleted. ECI does an annual de-duplication.

• Dial 1950 — toll-free, 7 AM - 10 PM, in regional languages
• Routed to the State Chief Electoral Officer's helpdesk
• Keep ready: name, EPIC (if any), AC name, district

• The BLO is a school teacher / Anganwadi worker assigned door-to-door for your section
• Find BLO contact: voters.eci.gov.in → Search in Electoral Roll → result page lists BLO mobile
• Call or visit; BLOs are bound to do field verification within 7 days of any complaint

• One ERO per AC. Office at the SDM/Tehsildar building.
• File Form 6 (new), 7 (objection), 8 (correction) in person or online
• SLA: 30 days

• DEO: usually the District Magistrate
• CEO: state-level head of ECI machinery; office in state capital, website ceo[state].nic.in
• Escalate via written grievance with copies to ERO + DEO

• https://pgportal.gov.in → Ministry of Election Commission of India
• SLA: 30 days

RTI works here when: (a) your name was deleted and you want the specific reason and the order copy, (b) BLO field verification was claimed but you suspect it never happened, © your Form 6/7/8 was rejected without reasons, (d) polling booth changed without notice.

File the RTI to: The Public Information Officer / ERO of your AC (offices at SDM/Tehsil), fee Rs 10 by IPO or court fee stamp. Specimen questions:

1. The current status of my name (EPIC: ) on the electoral roll of AC as on date
2. If deleted/objected: the date of deletion, the order number, the reason recorded, and copies of the BLO field-verification report and Form 7 (if filed by a third party)
3. The name and designation of the BLO and the AERO of my section
4. The procedure followed under Section 22 of the RoPA 1950 / Rule 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules 1960 in my case

For the underlying RTI mechanics, see RTI in 12 simple steps — the ERO is a public authority under the RTI Act and bound by the same 30-day clock as any other PIO. (A dedicated voter-list RTI guide is in editorial pipeline; meanwhile, the beginners template adapts cleanly.)

RTI does NOT help when: (a) you simply forgot your EPIC and want a duplicate — file Form EPIC-001 with ERO instead, (b) you want to register as a new voter — file Form 6 online, © it's the day before election and you need urgent restoration — call DEO directly; RTI's 30-day clock won't make polling day.

Q. I have my EPIC card from 2014 but my name is not on the current roll. Can I still vote?
No. Possession of an EPIC card is not enough — your name must be on the current electoral roll for the AC. Verify online before any election. If missing, file Form 6 immediately (it can take 30+ days).

Q. I shifted to a new city. Do I file Form 6 in the new city or Form 7 in the old?
File Form 6 in the new city — the system auto-flags duplication and triggers Form 7 deletion in the old AC. You don't need to file two forms.

Q. I'm an NRI living abroad. Can I be on the electoral roll?
Yes — file Form 6A at voters.eci.gov.in. You vote in person in your declared Indian constituency (postal/online voting for NRIs is not yet enabled as of April 2026; pilot proposals pending).

Q. The polling booth shown is too far from my house. Can I change it?
Within the same AC: file Form 8B with the ERO. Across ACs: that's a re-registration — file Form 6 for the new AC.

Q. Can I check someone else's voter status?
Yes — the electoral roll is public under Section 22 of RoPA 1950. Any citizen can search by name + AC for any other person. (Mobile-OTP-based login is only for editing your own profile.)

Q. Difference between e-EPIC and physical EPIC card?
e-EPIC is the digitally-signed PDF downloadable from the portal — legally valid. Physical EPIC is the laminated card delivered by India Post post-registration. Both work for voting and KYC.

Q. My name appears in two ACs. What do I do?
Decide which one is current. File Form 7 for the old AC (deletion). Section 17 of RoPA 1950 prohibits double registration; you can be prosecuted for voting twice.

Q. My voter ID address is different from my Aadhaar address. Is that a problem?
Not for voting (electoral roll is its own record). But many KYC systems cross-check; bring both, match the booth address with EPIC. To align, file Form 8 for EPIC address change.

Q. Can transgender voters register?
Yes — ECI Notification 2014 onwards allows “Third Gender” / “Transgender” as gender option on Form 6. Identity proof requirement is the same as for any voter.

Q. I am a domestic helper / migrant worker — should I register where I live or where my family is?
Wherever you ordinarily reside. Section 19 of RoPA 1950 defines “ordinarily resident” — typically the place where you stay most of the year. Migrant workers often keep their village registration; that is legally valid as long as you intend to return there.

Q. The system shows my photo wrong / blurred / someone else's face. What do I do?
File Form 8 with current photo. The BLO will visit to verify. New e-EPIC will be issued in 30 days.

ECI revises the electoral roll twice a year by default — Special Summary Revision (October-November) and Continuous Updation (year-round, but cut-off dates apply for inclusion in the next election roll). For any election, the roll is frozen 10 days before the last date of nominations for that election (Section 23(3) of RoPA 1950). After freeze, no new addition; only court can order inclusion.

• If your name is on the roll but EPIC is missing — show any of the 12 alternative IDs.
• If presiding officer disputes identity — Tendered Vote procedure: you cast a vote but it's kept separate; counted only if challenged later.
• If you find your name marked “voted” before you reached — Test Vote procedure: mandatory verification + complaint to Returning Officer.

These are protected by Conduct of Elections Rules 1961, Rule 49 + ECI Returning Officer's Handbook.

India is in a 2024-2029 electoral cycle that includes Bihar (2025), West Bengal/Tamil Nadu/Kerala/Assam (2026), UP/Punjab/Uttarakhand (2027), and the 2029 Lok Sabha. Each of these triggers a fresh Special Summary Revision before nominations. Citizens who voted last time but did not check their status in the interim are at high risk of silent deletion.

The 2024 LS election saw nearly 2.5 crore voters flag missing-name issues during polling, ECI's own dashboard showed. Many were turned away. The 30 seconds it takes to search the portal can mean the difference between voting and being denied at the booth.

• Check 60 days before any expected election date. That gives you time to file Form 6 if missing (30-day SLA).
• Check the whole family at once — same household sometimes loses one or two members in a sweep.
• Save e-EPIC PDF in DigiLocker — useful as alternative ID even when not voting.
• Save BLO mobile number — they are your fastest channel to anything voter-list related.
• If you are a first-time voter turning 18 between rolls — file Form 6 in October (qualifying date 1 January next year).

• eci.gov.in — main ECI website, with “Voter Education Manuals” in 22 languages
• electoralsearch.eci.gov.in — legacy search (now redirects to voters.eci.gov.in)
• cVIGIL app — citizen complaint app for poll-day model code violations
• SVEEP — Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation programme; runs awareness drives

• RTI in 12 simple steps — free citizen guide
• RTI for Aadhaar update rejected — fix Aadhaar before EPIC
• All helplines — toll-free numbers, by ministry
• RTI forms + state-wise fees
• RTI for stuck passport — similar BLO/police-verification template

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026.