Lok Sabha election: Every voter in the state to be provided Voter Information Slip

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: As per the directions of the Election Commission of India (ECI), every elector in the state will get a Voter Information Slip for the ensuing Lok Sabha election, due to start from the first phase on April 19.

Electors do not have to go and collect the voter information slip for themselves, as booth level officers (BLO) of the polling centre concerned will deliver the slip from house to house.

This has been done by the ECI to spread more awareness among the voters. The Election Department, Assam, in response to the ECI directive in this matter, has entrusted the follow-up measures for the distribution of the voter information slips to returning officers.

According to the ECI, the voter information slip (VIS) contains the voter's details, polling station location, date, and time of the poll on one side, and a snap shot of the polling station location map, along with crucial dos and don'ts added to the reverse of the VIS to guide the voter.

However, it was informed by ECI that the photograph of the voter would not be printed on the VIS. The line ‘This slip will not be accepted for the purpose of identification in the polling station. You are requested to carry epic or one of the alternative documents specified by the commission for voting’ will also be printed on the VIS in bold letters, as stated here.

Voters have been instructed to carry identification documents like the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) or others with an attached photograph to identify the voter, as specified by the ECI.

ECI also mentioned that there will be a QR code on the voter information slip, as it will help in faster searching or matching of the elector details of the respective part using the Booth App.

It was also stated that the returning officer (RO) of the constituency has been instructed to prepare a schedule for the distribution of VIS by the BLOs. A copy of this schedule has to be given by the returning officer (RO) to the political parties, booth-level agents (BLAs) of all recognized political parties, if they have been appointed, and contesting candidates and their agents.

The printing of VIS is to be done at the level of the District Election Officers (DEO) or ERO and its distribution through BLOs. The DEOs will distribute VIS to all enrolled electors beginning on the last day of filing nominations and ending five clear days before the day of poll. A very close and rigorous monitoring of the distribution process is directed to be done by the DEO and general observer concerned.

However, it is to be kept in mind that the voter information slip (VIS) is not to be accepted as a stand-alone identification document for voting. The VIS will continue to be prepared and issued as a part of the awareness-building and facilitation exercise for voters.

The issuance of VIS is very important for voters in the state, as the polling stations and even constituencies have changed for some voters after the delimitation exercise carried out by the ECI.

 Also Read: Assam: Battleground set for Phase-1 with 35 candidates finalized for Lok Sabha poll 2024 (sentinelassam.com)

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