Who is a ‘Service Voter’?

August 6, 2014

A Service Voter is a voter with service qualification. According to the provisions of sub-section (8) of Section 20 of Representation of the People Act 1950, service qualification means —

1)      Being a member of the Armed Forces of the Union or Being a member of a Force to which provisions of the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 1950), have been made applicable whether with or without modification.

2)      Being a member of an Armed Police Force of a State, and serving outside that State or Being a person who is employed under the Government of India, in a post outside India.

Persons having a service qualification can get enrolled as ‘service voters’ at their native places even though they actually may be residing at a different place (of posting). They have, however, an option to get themselves enrolled as general elector at the place of their posting where they factually, at the point of time, are residing ordinarily with their family with a sufficient span of time.

However, it will not be at native place but at the place of posting where they ordinarily reside with family. Once included in the general part of the roll there is no distinction between a common man and service voter.

The wife of a service voter shall, if she is ordinarily residing with him, be also deemed to be a service voter in the constituency specified by that person provided in case of Armed Force voter, a declaration in Form 2 or 2A that his wife ordinarily resides with him has to be made. This facility is available only to the wife of a male service voter and is not available to the husband of a female service voter.

A person having service qualifications should not to be enumerated as general electors during intensive revision for inclusion in the preliminary (draft) roll alongside their other eligible family members, even if such person is member of the household and incidentally happens to be present in the house at the time of enumeration.

Similarly, the wife of a service voter, if she is ordinarily residing with her husband at the place of his posting, should also not be enumerated as general elector even if she is present in the house at the time of enumeration during intensive revision.

However, if a person having service qualification is ordinarily residing with family for a sufficient span of time at one’s place of posting, then the person can be enumerated as a general voter during enumeration (in case of intensive revision) and through a voluntary request is made in Form 6 (in case of summary revision).

In such cases, a declaration should be obtained from the service voter and the spouse in the prescribed format. Only those serving members who are not already enrolled in the last part of electoral roll of a constituency of their native place and who have remained in the place of their present posting for sufficient span of time with their families are eligible to be enrolled as general electors in the general part of the electoral roll.

No EPIC is to be issued to a service voter enrolled in the last part of the electoral roll as of now. However, the service personnel registered as general electors are entitled to get EPIC.

Source: This information is an extract from the ‘Hand Book for Electoral Registration Officers- Election Commission of India – 2012’

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