Election FAQs: Who is a service voter?

Among the many voters that will cast their votes during this year's Assembly Elections in Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Telangana is a category of voters known as 'service voters'.

Who is a service voter?

According to the Election Commission of India, a service voter is a voter having a service qualification. Someone who is either a member of the Armed Forces of the Union, Armed Police Force of a State, or is otherwise employed under the Government of India.

Service voters can cast their votes either through postal ballot or through a proxy voter duly appointed to them. A voter who opts to vote through a proxy is called a Classified Service Voter.

How is a service voter different from an ordinary elector?

While an ordinary elector is registered in the electoral roll of the constituency in which his place of ordinary residence is located, a person having service qualification can get enrolled as a ‘service voter’ at their native place even though he may be residing at a different place (of posting). This voter has, however, an option to get enrolled as a general elector at the place of posting where they factually, at the point of time, is residing with their family for a sufficient span of time.

Is the spouse or son/daughter of a service voter also enrolled as a service voter?

If the spouse is ordinally residing with the service voter, then he/she shall be eligible to be enrolled as a service voter in the constituency concerned. However it is to be noted that this facility is not available for husbands of female service voters under the existing law.