Voting in Karnataka? Here are last dates for voter registration

Karnataka goes to polls in two phases on April 18 and April 23. As a resident of the state, if you have not registered to vote or if you have found that your name is not on the electoral rolls, then you have only a few days left to register and fill appropriate forms. 

If you are registered to vote in Udupi-Chikkamagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru-Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru South, Bengaluru North, Chickkaballapur or Kolar, you need to register your vote before March 16. The last date for voter registration is 10 days before the last date for filing nominations. These regions go to polls on April 18 and the last date for filing nominations is March 26. Hence, it is important to finish filling the form within three days as the election commission takes 10 days to process one application. 

Chikkodi, Belagavi, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Ballari, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere and Shivamogga go to polls on April 23. The last date for filing nominations for the candidates contesting polls in on April 8. The last date for voter registration is March 29. 

How to register to vote?

• Those who want to register to vote, change their address or look if their names are on the electoral roll, you can visit the National Voter Service Portal (sometimes the website takes time to load. Try opening on desktop not on mobile. Please be patient.)
• New voters must fill Form 6 in order to register themselves as voters. The form is available on the NVSP portal. You will need a passport sized photo and proof of age and residence.
• There may be cases, where people who are alive appear as deceased on the electoral roll. Age of person or spelling of name may be incorrect. To update or correct the details on the electoral roll, one must fill Form 8.
• If you have relocated to a different location within the constituency, use Form 8A.
• If you wish to delete your name from the voters’ list from any constituency and relocate to a new constituency, Form 6 must be filled along with Form 7. Form 6 is to register to vote in a new constituency and by filling Form 7, your name will be deleted from the voters’ list in the old constituency.  
• You can also collect two copies of the above mentioned forms from the Electoral Registration Office, Assistant Electoral Office and Booth Level Offices located in your constituency. You will have to fill the form and submit hard copies of age and address proof to the said office itself. 

"People have to follow the deadlines. Last date for south Karnataka voters to register is March 16 and last date for north Karnataka voters is March 29. The electoral rolls are updated till the last date of nominations. Voters must adhere to the deadlines as the process takes 10 days to get the voter ID. Once you get the voter ID, voters must check electoral rolls and see if their names have appeared. If their names are not there, they will not be able to vote," Surya Sen, Joint ECO of the Karnataka Election Commission told TNM.

What is an electoral roll?

An electoral roll is a list of names prepared by the Election Commission of India. This includes the names of all the people, aged 18 years and above, who have voter ID cards. Basically, all the people who will be able to vote for the upcoming elections.

If your already have a voter ID card, then ideally, your name should appear on the electoral roll. However, sometimes this is not the case – many people have realised only when they reach the polling booth that their name is not on the electoral roll, despite the fact that they have a voter ID. Hence, it is crucial to check if your name appears on the voter list ahead of the polls. You can check whether your name is on the electoral roll here (sometimes the website takes time to load). If you cannot access the website, you can log on to the National Voter Service Portal. On the left hand side of the home page, you can search for your name on the electoral roll in the search bar.