NRIs can now exercise their franchise in elections in India

Under Section-20A of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 inserted vide Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2010, which has come into effect w.e.f. 10th February 2011, every overseas elector, i.e., an Indian citizen who is absenting from his/her place of ordinary residence in India owing to employment, education or otherwise and has not acquired citizenship of any other country and who is not included in the electoral roll, is entitled to have his/her name registered in the electoral roll of the constituency in which his/her place of residence in India as mentioned in his/her passport is located.

The application (in Form-6A) should be submitted directly to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of the constituency within which the place of ordinary residence of the applicant (a citizen of India who has completed 18 years of age as on 01.01.2011 and who is staying in a foreign country) as given in his/her valid Indian passport falls. Details (prescribed Form-6A, guidelines for filling the form) can be seen on the website www.nvsp.in.

To begin with the process of registration of overseas electors in the electoral rolls of the State/Union Territory assembly constituencies, the Chief Electoral Officers of the following election (main Legislative Assembly/ bye-elections) going States and Union Territories have issued notifications under Rule 8A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 inviting every overseas elector, who has completed 18 years of age as on 01.01.2011, whose place of residence in India is located in these states/union territory and who is desirous of registering his/her name in the electoral roll, to submit claim application in Form-6A for registration in the electoral roll of the constituency in which his/her place of residence as shown in the passport is located. The claim application in Form-6A may be either submitted in person directly to the registration officer of the constituency concerned or sent to such registration officer by post along with the documents mentioned in Form-6A and the guidelines. When the claim application is sent by post, it should be accompanied by photocopies of the relevant pages of the passport ‘’duly self attested’’ (Attestation by official of the Indian High Commission/Consulate General of India is not required).