With the Election Commission announcing the poll schedules, the D-Day you’ve been waiting for is just 40 days away.

Chief Election Officer for Karnataka, Anil Kumar Jha said in a press conference in Bengaluru on March 5 that the model code of conduct is already in place as the elections have been notified. This means there can be no public function, rallies or road show by any political party without obtaining proper permission from police.

There can be no new programmes announced by the governments though the existing programmes can continue to work. There can be no hoardings of politicians or schemes being put up for public display. Buntings and banners aren’t allowed. Politicians can conduct door-to-door campaigns however. The expense limits for candidates has been raised from 40 lakh to 70 lakh.

On March 19 the notification will be issued for elections in Karnataka. Candidates can start filing nominations on March 19, while March 26 is the last date for filing nominations. March 29 is the last date for withdrawal of nominations. Political parties can campaign till April 15 – April 17 being the voting day in Karnataka.

This time you have no excuse not to vote. The 49-0 rule which allowed a person to cast his vote without voting for anyone, has been simplified. A NOTA button has been introduced in Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) which should be pressed if you don’t want to vote for anyone and express your displeasure with the candidates.

BBMP is holding the special voter registration drive on MArch 9th, 2014. All ward offices will register voters on the said day, if you take the necessary documents and photo.

Here’s an FAQ for this election season.

I’m a first time voter who has completed 18 years as on January 2014. Can I still register my name on voter roll?

Yes. If you want to register as a voter, here’s where you do it:

• Official website http://voterreg.kar.nic.in/
• Nearest Bangalore One centres, both online and offline.
• Nearest BBMP ward office
• Special voter registration drives on March 9, 2014 all over Bangalore.

While registering, make sure you go to those who are authorised from the Election Commission to collect your data for the voter ID.

If you have completed 18 years as on 1 January 2014 and are an Indian citizen, and a resident of Karnataka, you can register your name on the voter list in Bangalore.

To apply, you need to have:

1. A recent color passport photo
2. Name/age proof in the form of one of the following:
   • Passport / PAN Card / Driving License
3. Proof of ordinary residence (need not be permanent residence.) This should be one of the following:
   • Bank / Post Office current passbook 
   • Ration card, driving license, IT Assessment order, IT Return, Passport 
   • Latest water electricity/telephone/gas bills in name of applicant or immediate family member, spouse or parent 
   • Postal departments posts received/delivered at the applicants address.

• If you are aged less than 22 years, you must bring your birth certificate (municipal, school, Baptism certificate or mark sheet, class 10). Copy of birth certificate needs to be certified by the concerned authorities.
• If you are a student staying in a hostel, you must bring a ‘Student Declaration Form’ which states the stay in the hostel signed by the Principal/Dean/Registrar.
• If you are staying on rent, a NOC letter from the owner and the rent agreement is required.

I’m new to the city. Can I still register my name on voter roll?

Yes. You have time till March 16, 2014. Do it today.

Here’s the list of Bangalore One Centres where you can register yourself.

Here’s the list of BBMP officials responsible for voter registration, for all the three constituencies from Bangalore.

However, do not forget to fill Part-4 in form-6 if you already have an voter id elsewhere in the city r state or the country. Doing so will delete your name from the old list elsewhere.

After submitting the form online, is submitting the hard copy compulsory?

Yes. One has to take a print out of the form, sign the declaration and then submit it to the concerned BBMP office addressing it to the BBMP Commissioner.

How to check my name on voter list?

To check if your name exists on voter list, you can log on to Election Commission website and search using your voter id, or name and relationship details which you entered in form-6 while registering yourself.

You can also check your polling booth where your name is registered, by sending an SMS. Send KAEPIC <EPIC number> to 9243355223 in the following format.

What do I do if my name isn’t there in the list?

Re-register immediately.

What do I do if my name was deleted and hasn’t been restored?

Re-register immediately. There is no provision to restore it.

Have the deletions done last year been restored?

There is no provision for restoring the deletions. Re-registering is the only way to get your name back into the list.

How do I delete my name from another part of the city or the state?

You need to fill the part-4 in form 6 when registering your name in voter list.

Name on voter roll, but no EPIC: What do I do?

If you want to vote in this election,

1) Your name needs to be on the voter list.

2) You should have the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC).

However, in rare cases where the name is on voter roll but there is no EPIC, you can try to get the EPIC from the BBMP ward office in which your name was registered, or the nearest Bangalore One centre.

Election Commission will ensure that you get to vote, if you have your name on the list. In such cases, you have to carry the following id cards which the EC accepts as your id proof and address proof.

• • Passports
  • Driving Licenses
  • Income Tax Identity (PAN) Cards
  • Service Identity Cards with photograph issued to its employees by State/Central Government, Public Sector Undertakings or Public Limited Companies.
  • Passbooks with photograph issued by Public Sector Banks/Post Office and Kisan Passbooks
  • Student Identity Cards with photograph issued by recognized Educational Institutions
  • Property Documents with photographs such as pattas, Registered Deeds
  • Ration Cards with photograph
  • SC/ST/OBC Certificates with photograph issued by competent authority
  • Pension Documents with photographs such as ex-servicemen’s Pension Book/Pension Payment Order, ex-servicemen’s Widow/Dependent Certificates, Old Age Pension Order, Widow Pension Order
  • Freedom Fighter Identity Cards
  • Arms Licenses with photograph
  • Certificate of Physical Handicap with photograph issued by Competent Authority
  • Ex-servicemen CSD canteen card with photograph
  • SandhyaSuraksha Scheme card with photograph
  • Job Cards, with photograph issued under NREGA Scheme
  • Yashaswini Card with photograph

Where do I check my polling booth?

You can check it through SMS as instructed above, or by looking it up here.

 If you have questions, do drop in a comment here. We’ll update the write up with answers.

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