Kashmiri migrants can use competent authority certificate to vote: Election Commission

Kashmiri migrants can use the certificate issued by the competent authority as an alternative identity proof in place of the election identity card to cast vote in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.

In an order issued to the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer, the EC said all voters who have been issued EPIC (election photo identity cards) will have to produce the document for their identification at the polling station before casting their ballot.

But those who are unable to produce EPIC will have to produce one of the 12 alternative photo identity documents for establishing their identity. These include certificate issued to Kashmiri migrants by competent authority with photograph, PAN card, Aadhar card, MNREGA job card, bank passbook with photograph, passport, identity cards of government departments, PSUs and public limited companies and driving licence.

"In the case of EPIC, clerical errors, spelling mistakes, should be ignored provided the identity of the elector can be established by the EPIC," the EC said.

The poll panel clarified that overseas electors who are registered in the electoral rolls under Section 164 of the Jammu and Kashmir Representation of the People Act, l957, based on the particulars in their passport, "shall be identified on the basis of their original passport only (and no other identity document) in the polling station".