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Module 1 · Start here — For every citizen

🗳️ Your Vote — Register, Check and Vote

Everything a first-time voter needs: who can vote, how to get on the list, what to carry, how the EVM and VVPAT work, and what NOTA means.

6Chapters
5 minReading time
10Quiz questions
Start hereFor every citizen
In this module you will learn
  • Who can vote and the four dates each year you can join the list
  • How to register, correct or move your entry online
  • What to carry and what happens inside the polling booth
  • EVM, VVPAT and NOTA — explained simply

1Who can vote?

Every Indian citizen who is 18 years old on a qualifying date can vote, as long as their name is on the electoral roll (the voter list) of the place where they normally live.

Since 2022 there are four qualifying dates every year — 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October. If you turn 18 on or before any of these dates, you can be added to the list for that quarter. Young people can even apply in advance from the age of 17.

📌 Remember
  • Voting is a right, not a favour — no one can buy or threaten your vote
  • You vote only where your name is on the roll, not where you were born
  • You can be on the roll in only one place

2Getting on the voter list

  1. Go onlineVisit voters.eci.gov.in or use the Voter Helpline app from the Election Commission.
  2. Form 6For a new registration. Upload a photo, age proof and address proof.
  3. Form 8To correct your details, shift to a new address, replace a lost card or mark yourself as a person with disability.
  4. Form 7To object to a wrong entry or remove a name — for example, someone who has died or moved away.
  5. BLO visitA Booth Level Officer (BLO) may visit to verify. Your card (EPIC) is then sent to you, and an e-EPIC can be downloaded.
Help: call the voter helpline 1950, or meet your BLO. Registration is free — never pay anyone to “get your name added”.

3Check your name before every election

Names get missed or deleted when people move, or when the roll is revised. Check your name a few weeks before polling day on voters.eci.gov.in (search by EPIC number, mobile or details). The site also shows your polling station and part number.

📌 If your name is missing
  • File Form 6 as soon as possible — new names are not added once nominations close for an election
  • Contact your BLO or the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) at the taluk office
  • Call 1950

4On polling day

  1. Carry IDYour voter ID (EPIC) or one of the approved photo IDs, such as Aadhaar, passport, driving licence, PAN card, bank or post office passbook with photo, or MGNREGA job card.
  2. Queue and checkA polling officer checks your name on the list and your ID.
  3. InkIndelible ink is put on your left forefinger, and you sign or put a thumb impression in the register.
  4. VotePress the blue button next to the candidate of your choice on the EVM.
  5. Check the VVPATA paper slip with the candidate’s name and symbol shows for about 7 seconds in the VVPAT window, then drops into a sealed box.
Your employer must give you a paid holiday on polling day (Section 135B, Representation of the People Act). Mobile phones are not allowed inside the booth.

5EVM, VVPAT and NOTA

TermWhat it is
EVMElectronic Voting Machine — a Ballot Unit (where you press the button) connected to a Control Unit (with the polling officer).
VVPATVoter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail — prints a slip so you can see your vote was recorded correctly.
NOTA“None of the Above” — the last button on the EVM, available since 2013. It records that you reject all candidates. The candidate with the most votes still wins.
Postal ballotFor service voters, election staff, and — on request — voters aged 85+ and persons with benchmark disabilities, who can also vote from home.
🔎 Real exampleIn the Madurantakam by-election on 6 October 2026, 652 voters chose NOTA; in Dharapuram, 677. See the full results ›

6Your vote and the result

In India’s “first past the post” system, the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins — even without 50%. The party or alliance that wins a majority of seats (118 of 234 in Tamil Nadu) forms the government.

That is why every single vote matters: several Tamil Nadu seats in 2026 were decided by fewer than 1,000 votes.

🔎 Real exampleIn 2026, Kumbakonam was won by 679 votes and Tindivanam by 734. Explore every seat ›

★See it in real life

This module connects to real events on VettriThalapathy:

By-election results 2026 ›Election 2026 ›Constituency map ›

?Test yourself

←All modulesNext →How TN Is Governed

Facts checked on 11 October 2026. This is a plain-language guide, not legal advice — for official text, see the Constitution of India and the Acts on India Code. Spotted an error? Tell us.