The word non-residential Indians or NRIs refers to an Indian diaspora whose primary place of habitation is outside of the country. As part of a thriving and comparatively large community, it is natural for such individuals to want to contribute to the democratic proceedings of their own nation.

Therefore, the Election Commission of India made it eligible for the non-native voters of this country to take part in elections via the usage of voter ID cards for NRIs.

Overseas Indian residents were not eligible to have a voting right in Indian elections before the year 2010. However, the Indian government has made certain amendments to Section 20A of the Representation of People Act [1950] to allow such individuals to cast their ballots with an NRI voter ID. This way, these voters can use an e-ballot to cast their electoral opinions.

With a push for end-to-end digitisation gaining momentum in recent times, this country’s Election Commission has made it possible for NRI voters to apply for an ID card both on and offline. However, it should be noted that a potential elector will need to meet certain eligibility criteria to avail of a voter ID card in India for NRI.

Before an NRI applies for a voter ID card, he or she must be aware of specific legal parameters one needs to meet in this regard. The complete set of eligibility criteria such potential overseas voters has to abide by include the following:

• They must be at the legal age of eighteen years or older.
• These NRIs cannot have citizenship of a different country alongside or other than India.
• Potential voters must have a legible Indian passport which had been attested by any officer from their residential nation’s Indian Embassy.
• These NRIs have to meet the prerequisites that are mandated for any other residing Indians would need to for availing of a voter ID card.

To ensure a smooth verification procedure when applying for voter ID for NRIs, individuals should keep certain pivotal documents within their reach. These records include:

• Form 6A
• Recent passport-size images of the applicants
• Passport page regarding a valid visa endorsement
• Proof of an NRI’s address in his or her home country
• Papers to substantial essential personal details about the applicants
• Pages of the passport that has the potential elector’s images

It should be noted that, other than the form and picture, all the other documents have to be submitted as a photocopy of the original records. When a non-resident Indian is sending in this paperwork by post, it has to be attested by authorised entities from the Indian Mission or Embassy.

On the other hand, if potential voters are submitting these documents in person, they can just self-attest the photocopies. However, they will also need to produce the originals too so that the administrators can verify them.

As mentioned before, there are several ways to get a voter ID card for NRI. To apply for this card online, an overseas resident must strictly adhere to the following steps:

Step 1: Open the National Voters’ Service Portal.

Step 2: Navigate to Form 6A-Register as Overseas Elector/Voter and download this form.

Step 3: Fill out the form after printing it.

Step 4: Scan the filled-out form and the other required attested documents as mentioned before.

Step 5: Email these records to the state election website.

Alternatively, if voters feel more comfortable opting for the application procedure offline, they can also do the same in the following steps:

Step 1: Visit the Electoral Registration Officer or ERO office of the respective state. Alternatively, it is also possible to avail of this form from the Indian Mission of the present country of residence.

Step 2: Fill in the form with proper details.

Step 3: Attach all records mentioned above with proper attestation.

Step 4: Send all of these documents to the postal address provided on the official website of the Election Commission of India.

Consequently, the voter can avail of his or her voter ID for NRIs without any hassle.

There are a number of advantages for a non-resident Indian citizen to be a voter ID card holder. Some of these include:

• The voter can make one’s voice heard in the socio-political development of India.
• As it contains an image and several other crucial details, a voter ID card can be used as a legitimation proof of identity.
• Being registered via adequate means, an NRI voter can ensure any scope of voter fraud or other forms of electoral malpractices via multiple voting are largely mitigated.
• This record can be beneficial for the government of India to keep a proper record of the Indian diaspora’s population around the world.
• This allows a voter to complete his constitutional duties even if one cannot be physically present in the area of the election.

Despite numerous benefits as mentioned above, there are some notable limitations of voter ID for NRIs. These include:

• Non-residential Indian electors are not allowed to cast their ballot at any Indian Embassy or Mission.
• Such voters have to carry their original passports at the time of casting a vote.
• It is not possible to vote outside of a constituency under which a voter had initially enrolled his or her name.
• The concept of voting via e-postal ballot is yet to become commonplace in this country.

Despite all of these limitations, it must be noted how issuing voter IDs for NRI citizens has led to a significant growth in public participation in the country’s elections. As the largest democracy in the world, India has a significant responsibility of putting forward an exemplary achievement in conducting a thorough election procedure. Allowing overseas Indians to have a political voice is a crucial step in this regard.