The Election Commission of India will formally launch the e-EPIC (Electronic Electoral Photo Identity Card) programme on January 25, the National Voter’s Day.
New voters will get the facility after downloading the card on a registered mobile connection. Once the approval by competent authorities for a new application for a voter card is provided, the applicant can get it in digital format.
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e-EPIC is a non-editable secure portable document format (PDF) version of the EPIC and will have a secured QR code with an image and demographics like serial number, part number, etc. E-EPIC can be downloaded on a mobile or a computer and can be digitally stored. This is in addition to physical IDs being issued for fresh registration.
According to the plan, on the digital format of the EPIC, there will be two different QR codes consisting of information about the voter. One QR code will have the voter’s name and other specific details while the second code will have the voter’s other information. On the basis of the data stashed in the QR codes in the downloaded version of the EPIC, voting rights can be availed.
The e-EPIC initiative would be launched in two phases. In the first phase from January 25 to 31, all new voters who have applied for the voter-ID card and registered their mobile numbers in Form-6 will be able to download the e-EPIC by simply authenticating their mobile number.
The mobile numbers should be unique and not be previously registered in the ECI’s electoral rolls. “The second phase will start from February 1. It will be open for the general voters. All those who have given their mobile numbers (linked one) they can also download their e-EPIC”, said ECI official.
Once the EC plan rolls out, Service and Overseas Voters will also be able to download their EPIC. At present they are not provided physical voter ID cards. The facility will be also helpful for those voters who have shifted and need to enroll their names at new polling booths. Apart from this, voters who have lost their cards and applied for new ones will also be able to use this service after their applications for new cards are approved.
According to reports, the digital EPIC service will become available to voters across the country before assembly elections in five states.
