The Election Commission in January rolled out the electronic version of the voters' photo identity card which can be stored on mobile phones and downloaded on personal computers. The service, which was available only for the new voters till now, is now open for all.
The e-voter card, available in the PDF format which cannot be edited, can be self-printed and laminated by the voter when required.
Electors in poll-bound West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry can use e-voter card on polling days. Elections are due in these states and the union territory in April-May.
The conventional 'PV' physical voter card would continue to be in use.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had launched the e-EPIC programme and distributed e-EPICs and Elector Photo Identity Cards to five new voters here to mark the National Voters' Day on January 25.
The EC came into being on January 25, 1950, a day before India became a republic.
For the past few years, January 25 is also observed as National Voters' Day.
The e-elector photo identity card is a non-editable digital version of the elector photo identity card and can be saved in facilities such as digital locker as well as can be printed in the PDF format.
The physical card takes time to print and reach the voter, and the idea is to provide faster delivery and easy accessibility to the document, EC officials said.
The Aadhaar card, Permanent Account Number (PAN) card and driving licence are available in digital mode.
Introduced in 1993, the elector photo identity cards are accepted as proof of identity and address.
Steps to download
Go to voterportal.eci.gov.in
Create an account by entering related details
Log in after creating an account
Go to the menu “Download e-EPIC.”
Enter your EPIC number or reference number
You wl get an OTP to your registered mobile number
Click on “Download EPIC” now
If the mobile number mentioned on the card is different, then you have to complete the Know Your Customer (KYC) process to download the card
Download the digital voter ID card
Digital voter ID cards can also be generated from the mobile voter app, which can be downloaded from Google Play Store.
(With inputs from PTI)
