Election FAQs: What is Form 6 and when does it have to be filed?

Assembly elections are around the corner. Like in previous years, we will again see thousands of first-time voters in Himachal Pradesh cast their votes.

For a first-time voter, the first step in getting to exercise their franchise is to file Form 6. This application form is used to enrol new voters and ensure that their names show up on the final electoral list.

What is Form 6?

It is an application for the inclusion of one's name in the electoral list. An Indian citizen who has reached the age of 18 or older is eligible to go through the process. Also, a person shifting from the constituency in which he/she is already registered has to complete the form. It can be accessed here.

Also Read | Election FAQs: How to vote as a first-time voter

The applicant has to furnish details like one's name, age, sex, place of birth, place of ordinary residence and details of family members already on the electoral roll, among other things.

Any of the following documents can be attached as proof of date of birth - a birth certificate, Class 10 mark sheet, PAN card, passport, driving licence or Aadhaar letter given by the UIDAI. In case there's no age proof available, the parents of the first-time applicant have to fill out a form of oath or affirmation.

As proof of ordinary residence, any of the following documents can be used – bank passbook, ration card, passport, driving licence, rent agreement, Income Tax assessment order, water or electricity or telephone or gas bill either in the name of the applicant or of their closest relatives like parents or any post delivered through India Post in the applicant’s name at the specified address.

When does it have to be filed?

While it can be filed at any time, the application can also be processed during the electoral roll revision after the draft publication of the constituency’s electoral roll is out.

Where should it be filed?

The application can be filed offline at designated locations where the draft electoral roll is displayed (mostly polling station locations) as well as at the offices of the Electoral Registration Officer and Assistant Electoral Registration Officer of the constituency. The application can also be filed online on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer of the state concerned.

When a revision programme is not under way, it can be filed only with the Electoral Registration Officer or online.

Incomplete application forms are liable to be rejected, hence, all the required information has to be provided.