With just a day left for voting in the Karnataka Assembly Election 2023, a concerned citizen who is planning to vote should know that the Election Commission allows identification cards other than the Elector’s Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) or simply Voter ID cards to be used to cast a vote. On May 10, voters can produce any of the following photo identification to make sure they practise their right to vote.
Here's a list of 19 alternate documents that can be used to vote during the Karnataka Assembly Elections. It includes:
- Authenticated Photo Voter Slip
- Passport
- Driving licence
- Income Tax identity (PAN) cards
- Service identity cards issued by the State government, Central government, public sector undertakings or public limited companies
- Passbooks issued by public sector banks, post office, and Kisan passbook (account opened on or before March 31, 2014).
- Student identity cards issued by recognised educational institutions on or before March 31, 2014
- Property documents such as pattas, registered deeds, etc. in the name of the voter
- Ration card issued up to March 31, 2014
- SC, ST, and OBC certificates issued by a competent authority on or before March 31, 2014.
- Pension documents such as ex-servicemen’s pension book, ex-servicemen’s widow or dependent certificates issued up to March 31, 2014
- Freedom Fighter identity card
- Arms licence issued on or before March 31, 2014
- Certificate of physical handicap by the competent authority on or before March 31, 2014
- Ex-servicemen CSD Canteen Card
- Job card issued under National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme up to March 31, 2014
- Service identity cards issued by local bodies namely Municipal Corporation, city municipal council, town municipal, council, village panchayat, etc.
- Senior citizen cards issued by the government department.
- Smart cards issued by the Registrar General of India under the scheme of the National Population Register.
The polling day is on Wednesday whereas the counting day is on May 13, Saturday. The preparations are in full swing by the poll body to conduct free and fair elections in the southern State.
The high-voltage campaign for the May 10 assembly elections also ended on Monday with top leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding 19 public meetings and six roadshows while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi camped in the state for 12 days.