New Delhi: First-time voters can apply to join the electoral roll even before attaining 18 years of age, the Ministry of Law and Justice said on Thursday.
According to a statement released by the ministry, those who have completed 17 years in either April, July or October this year can file his or her claim for inclusion of the name in the electoral roll.
Till recently, eligible citizens turning 18 on or before January 1 of a particular year could enrol themselves in the voters' list. Those turning 18 after January 1 had to wait for one whole year to register as themselves as voters.
Now, any citizen attaining the age of 18 years by April 1, July 1 and October 1 of 2023 can also submit an advance application for registration as a voter from the date of draft publication of the electoral roll.
It is to be noted that this decision is taken with the objective to provide more opportunities for the youth to become a part of the voters' list and promote a healthy electoral roll.
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The Election Commission of India (ECI) had earlier said, “Henceforth, the electoral roll will be updated every quarter and eligible youngsters can be registered in the next quarter of the year in which he or she has attained the qualifying age of 18 years.”
The applicants will receive an electoral photo identity card (EPIC) following the preliminary procedures. The Election Commission of India has also made the registration forms more user friendly and simpler.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said that new voters will define and contribute to the making of India in 2047, when the country completes 100 years of its independence.
Addressing new and young voters, he said that Uttar Pradesh is home to about 55 million men and women in the 18-30 age group, which is approximately 37 per cent of the total voters in the state.