How to Apply for a New Voter ID (Form 6) Online

• Are you already registered? Search your name on the portal first (by name + state, or EPIC number), or download your booth’s electoral roll to check. If you already appear on the roll, you don’t need Form 6, a fresh application on top of an existing entry is a common cause of rejection. If you’ve simply moved, use Form 8 (correction/shifting) instead.
• Are you eligible on a qualifying date? You must be 18 by 1 January, 1 April, 1 July, or 1 October. You can apply from age 17 as an advance application, your name is added when you turn 18 on the next such date.

• A passport-size photograph: the portal expects roughly 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm, front full-face, plain white background, unsigned. A photo with a busy background is a common reason for rejection.
• Age/identity proof: Aadhaar, PAN, passport, driving licence, birth certificate, or Class 10 marksheet.
• Address proof: Aadhaar, passport, driving licence, a recent utility bill, bank/post office passbook, or a registered rent agreement.
• An active mobile number for the OTP and status updates.

1. Go to voters.eci.gov.in and click Sign Up (new users) or Login.
2. Enter your mobile number, email (optional), and the captcha, then click Continue.
3. Enter your first and last name, set a password and confirm it, then click Request OTP.
4. Enter the OTP and click Verify & Submit, your account is created.
5. Log in with your mobile number, password, captcha, and OTP.

1. On your dashboard, under New Registration for General Electors, click Fill Form 6.
2. State & constituency: select the state and the constituency where you ordinarily reside (where you actually live, not a temporary stay).
3. Personal details: enter your name carefully in English, and check the auto-transliteration into the state language for spelling errors, this is a frequent source of mistakes on the printed card.
4. Age & DOB: enter your date of birth and upload the matching age proof.
5. Relative’s details: add a family member’s name and relationship (father, mother, or spouse).
6. Address: enter your current residential address and upload address proof.
7. Photo: upload your passport-size photograph.
8. Aadhaar (optional): enter it if you choose, or select the option to decline.
9. Preview: click Preview & Submit and check every field, especially spelling, DOB, and address.
10. Declaration & submit: fill the declaration (how long you’ve lived at the address), enter the captcha, and submit.

Submitting Form 6 is only half the process. Your application then goes to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), who assigns a Booth Level Officer (BLO), a local government official, to verify you.

The BLO typically visits your address in person to confirm you actually live there. What this means for you:

• Keep your original documents handy at home during the weeks after applying.
• If you’re out when the BLO visits, they may revisit or call the mobile number you gave, so keep it reachable.
• Answer genuine verification, but never share a portal password or OTP with anyone claiming to be a BLO, real BLOs don’t need those.

Once the BLO confirms and the ERO approves, your name is added to the electoral roll and your EPIC is generated.

• Normal online application: roughly 15 to 30 days after BLO verification.
• During a special revision drive: often faster, around 7 to 15 days.
• During an election period: new registrations may be paused after the cut-off, so apply well before any election notification.

Once approved, you don’t have to wait for the posted card, you can download your e-EPIC immediately.

• Already registered: you’re already on the roll somewhere, apply for a transfer (Form 8), not a fresh Form 6.
• Name mismatch: the name on Form 6 doesn’t match your uploaded documents. Enter it exactly as on your proof.
• Unclear documents or photo: blurry scans or a photo with a busy background get bounced. Use clear, plain images.
• Address not verifiable: the BLO couldn’t confirm you live there. Make sure your address proof matches where you actually reside.
• Failed BLO verification: nobody available at the address across visits. Keep your mobile reachable so they can reach you.

If rejected, the portal shows the reason, read it, fix that specific issue, and reapply, rather than submitting the same form again.

You don’t have to use the portal. You can collect a paper Form 6 from your local Electoral Registration Office (ERO), or download and print it from voters.eci.gov.in, fill it in, attach a photo and self-attested document copies, and submit it to your BLO or ERO. The verification and timeline are the same as online. Registration is free either way, no genuine channel charges for it.