Handbook for Electoral Registration Officers - Election Commission ...

CHAPTER X – ENROLMENT OF SERVICE VOTERSWho is a Service Voter?1 Service voter is a voter having service qualification. According to the provisions ofsub-section (8) of Section 20 of Representation of the People Act 1950, servicequalification means —(a) Being a member of the armed Forces of the Union; or(b) Being a member of a force to which provisions of the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 1950),have been made applicable whether with or without modification;(c) Being a member of an Armed Police Force of a State, and serving outside that state;or(d) Being a person who is employed under the Government of India, in a post outsideIndia.2 Persons having a service qualification can get enrolled as ‘service voters’ at their nativeplaces even though they actually may be residing at a different place (of posting). Theyhave, however, an option to get themselves enrolled as general elector at the place oftheir posting where they factually, at the point of time, are residing ordinarily with theirfamily with a sufficient span of time. However, it will not be at native place but at theplace of posting where they ordinarily reside with family. Once included in the generalpart of the roll there is no distinction between a common man and service voter.3 The wife of a service voter shall, if she is ordinarily residing with him, be also deemedto be a service voter in the constituency specified by that person provided in case ofArmed Force voter, a declaration in Form 2 or 2A that his wife ordinarily resides withhim has to be made. This facility is available only to the wife of a male service voterand is not available to the husband of a female service voter.4 A person having service qualifications should not to be enumerated as general electorsduring intensive revision for inclusion in the preliminary (draft) roll alongside theirother eligible family members, even if such person is member of the household andincidentally happens to be present in the house at the time of enumeration5 Similarly, wife of a service voter, if she is ordinarily residing with her husband at theplace of his posting, should also not be enumerated as general elector even if she ispresent in the house at the time of enumeration during intensive revision.6 However, if a person having service qualification is ordinarily residing with family fora sufficient span of time at one’s place of posting, then the person can be enumerated asa general voter during enumeration (in case of intensive revision) and through avoluntary request is made in Form 6 (in case of summary revision). In such cases, adeclaration should be obtained from the service voter and the spouse in the prescribedformat (Annexure 5.5).7 Only those serving members who are not already enrolled in the last part of electoralroll of a constituency of their native place and who have remained in the place of theirpresent posting for sufficient span of time with their families are eligible to be enrolledas general electors in the general part of the electoral roll.78