All set to vote on the 17th? Here’s some info for you!

If you are a first-time voter and are bombarded by people telling you how to vote and who to vote for, this is for you!

Only one more day left to go to the voting booth and cast your vote. All the leading parties have presented their manifesto. Their candidates have toured the city of Bengaluru trying to sell their ideas for the city and nation by large. Now it’s your turn. Step out and vote.

For many who are still in a dilemma about which Parliamentary constituency you belong to, here is where you can figure it out: Which Parliament Constituency does your ward fall in?

Who are the candidates?

Once you know to which parliamentary assembly constituency you belong to, check out who the candidates contesting from your constituency are. This info is just an SMS away.  All you need to do is:

  • Option 1:  SMS MYNETA <constituency name> to 9246556070 or 56070

  • Option 2:  SMS MYNETA <pincode> to 9246556070 or 56070

You can also get the names of candidates contesting from Karnataka on the My Neta website. (Click on the name of the candidates and you will get their profile too).

You can also get the list of contesting candidates by clicking on Election Commission website.

We have the candidates listed on Citizen Matters too, see here

How to identify the right candidate to vote for?

Well, no one can tell you who the right candidate is. It is your right to decide who you want to support, keeping in mind that for the next five years, they will be the lawmakers who will represent you and be your voice in the parliament. You need to keep in mind that your decision will also affect the world you want your child to be in, therefore choose wisely.

However, having said that, it is your right to choose. You can always take help of various websites that have done research on your candidates. You can see for yourself how well the candidate has performed in the past, if he has already been an MP. The same goes for the candidates contesting for the first time. For candidates contesting for the first time, you should check their achievements, which should give you an idea about his or her leadership qualities and knowledge.

Reading up on the candidate’s personal interviews will help you assess how well-informed and aware the candidates are about the issues that affect our day to day lives. It will help you to know what their aim is.

Some websites have taken the pains to do research on the candidates contesting from Bangalore and across the country.

To check out Citizen Matters’ Special Elections Reportage on Bangalore, check out our Election Dashboard.

Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has done abundant research and has presented the data in the MyNeta website.

The Policy Research Studies Legislative Research website has documented the present MPs track records. Check it out and decide whether you want to vote for them yet again.

Where do I vote?

You have to vote in the polling booth in which your name is present. You can vote only if your name is in the voting list.

Check your name on voter list by clicking here and doing a search.

Your exact polling station location can be manually checked on the CEO Karnataka’s Website. It gives you two options. You can either search with the help of your EPIC no. or with your personal details. Follow the link.

You can also send a message. SMS: KAEPIC <your EPIC no. XYZ0123456>  to 9243355223

Once you know the address of the polling station, you know where to go. Just go there, and cast your vote!

What if I don’t have my voter id

You have submitted all the necessary documents for procurement of voter ID or EPIC card and your name is listed on the voter list, but you haven’t received your EPIC card, or you have lost your voter ID card. If this is the case, try procuring it at your nearest Bangalore One Center that has this facility. (Only selected centres have this facility.) The nearest location can be traced here. Location finder can also be be found on their website.

No other person than you can procure the voter ID card on your behalf. Only the registered person whose EPIC card is to be procured has to go the centre.

The concerned person will have to furnish the name of constituency, his name and name of the relation as entered while filling the registration form.

The operator at the Bangalore One centre will log in to the Department Portal through Bangalore One Application and will do a search as per the information provided by you. Application displays multiple records along with Photo. You will be asked to identify the photograph and verify the EPIC information before being issued the EPIC Card   

On getting confirmation, EPIC ID will be printed and issued to the citizen with proper lamination at a cost of Rs.10/-, which is to be paid only in cash, says the website.

Name in voter list, but no EPIC

If you don’t have time to go and get your Voter ID card or EPIC card, or have lost your voter ID, but your name is in the list, then don’t worry. Election commission allows such citizens to vote, provided their name is on the voter’s list.

All you need to do, if you are sure that your name is in the voter’s list, is  take an identity proof along with you: PAN card, passport, driving license or any other recognised identity proof issued by the Government of India.

Can I vote if my name is not on voter list? I have heard there is a spot registration.   

This can be done only if your name is on the voter list. If you don’t have voter ID card, but your name is in the voter’s list then you can show your identity proof and cast your vote. Otherwise, no. This information has been confirmed by the Election Commission of India. Don’t trust the junk mails and messages going around that claim that you can vote without your name on the voter roll.

What is VVPAT? where is applied?

VVPAT is Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail. It prints the option that you select at the polling station on Electronic Voting machine. The purpose of this is to allow you to verify whether the vote you casted has been correctly recorded or not.

This machine will be placed adjacent to EVM. It has a transparent window on top which will let you, the voter, see the print out for 7 seconds only. You need to check the candidate’s serial no. and the party symbol, it should match to your selected option.

After 7 seconds, the slip will automatically get cut and fall into a sealed box. After the completion of voting, the officers in charge will empty it and seal it.

However, VVPAT is still not used everywhere. This is a pilot project experimented only in a few cities. In Bangalore, such units will be used only in the Bangalore South Constituency.

Check out the functioning of VVPAT here.

Things to remember to take to polling booth:

1) Voter ID card

2) Photo voter slip: This should have already delivered to your door by political party volunteers or BBMP officials. This can be used to search your name in the list in the booth. However, in the absence of voter ID card, you must have a government-recognised ID proof like passport, pan card or driving license.

Scenario at the polling station

The earlier you wake up on this day and head to polling station, the quicker you will finish casting your vote. Not many are early birds, therefore you don’t have to stand in the long queues.  

At the polling station, three separate queues are — men and women and physically handicapped persons.

Three officers will be seated at the desk, they will take you through the procedure.

Procedure in polling booth

  1. The first polling officer’s desk will check your name in the voters list. For this you will have to show your government approved Identity card.

  2. Once you are through identifying yourself on the list, the second polling officer will take your signature or thumb impression.

  3. The third officer will apply ink on your left forefinger.

  4. Then you will be directed to a compartment by a polling officer to cast your vote on the Electronic Voting Machine.

  5. On the EVM you will find a list of party names, their symbols and a button next to it to cast your vote. The NOTA (None of the above) option can be used if you do not want to vote for any party or candidate.

  6. Press the button adjacent to the party name and symbol, that you think deserves your vote. You will hear a beep, along with a red light that goes off next to the party symbol. This indicates that your vote has been registered.

  7. Bangalore South ballot voters can verify their vote on VVPAT window. However, you cannot take it out — it gets sealed in the box.

More details about VVPAT are here.

What if I’m told in polling booth that my name is not on voter list?

Well- you happen to be one of those voters who got deleted because of Election Commission’s faulty software/ data entry system. In all probability, they have deleted your entry, and created a duplicate entry for soembody else. You are unfortune this time – but you can join the fight to get the system right, along with P G Bhat, who has been working for the cause for a long time now.

What if I find two entries in my name?

Ahh – you are the lucky person who got an extra entry because the Election Commission software modified somebody else’s entry accidentally. You can vote in any of the booths where your name exists. Remember, you can vote only in one booth though, not both.

For general information on why you should vote and the procedure to vote, Click here.

Related Articles

Don’t be tempted to take a selfie inside the polling booth!
Compare Bangalore North candidates before you vote!
Compare Bangalore Central candidates before deciding your leader!
Compare Bangalore South candidates before deciding your leader!
Compare Bangalore Rural candidates before voting!

Comments:

  1. Usha says:

    Getting the EPIC cards from BangaloreOne is indeed a wonderful initiative but I regret to say that the phone numbers listed against the address for the respective centres are available for dialogue. The number is permanently “under conversation” and the caller has to try again! Call to the helpdesk results in no great help since they direct us back to the same number which is never picked up!!

  2. Nikita Malusare says:

    Hello Usha, after your comment we also tried contacting them through all the possible sources. But faced the same problems as you did. Therefore it would be good if you visit their centre.

  3. Ketan says:

    Bangalore One Center is useless . I contacted them and asked for help regarding where can I get my voter card. They didnt know and they were least bothered to help.

    Bangalore One is good only for paying electricity bills and nothing else… Before writing this article make sure the system works then boast about your system.

  4. vineet agrawal says:

    Govt and EC says that you MUST Vote…. But How????????? If one doesn’t get his/her name included even after 4 months –

    1. My online application for daughter Ishita (No 591146) is still showing under progress. 2. I contacted AERO and he asked me to apply a fresh which I did on 4th march. I handed over all the documents there. 3. I complained to http://www.eci-citizenservicesforofficers.nic.in on 14th April for not getting included and I got phone call on 15th from them and they said that either 1. it did not get approved due to lack of papers 2. or try one more time in BBMP office. I said that I provided all possible papers (adar card, passport and 10th marksheet). Until now name is not there in voter list. Now I started believing that each new ID (Voter ID, Adhar Card etc) is device to make money thru bribe…otherwise one ID (like in USA it’s SSN) must be enough. Sorry for my frustration. Thanks. Vineet

  5. Kunal Dhingra says:

    Good article however the information is incorrect. I went to my nearest Bangalore One center [on 24th Main, HSR layout] to get a copy of my voter ID card. They said that they dont have any facility. One has to goto only the JP nagar Bangalore One and try.

  6. Nikita Malusare says:

    You need to visit your nearest Bangalore Once Centre where the facility is available- this can be found out by calling them on their land line numbers.

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