Bhubaneswar, October 10: Voters unable to produce an Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) can produce any of the 12 listed documents for identification at polling booths for the the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections and eight other Assembly constituencies, including Nuapada in Odisha, said Election Commission of India (ECI).
The by-election to the Nuapada Assembly constituency will be held on November 11 along with the second phase of Bihar elections and bypolls to six other Assembly seats in different States. The by-election has been necessitated following the death of sitting BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia.
The ECI is empowered under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 read with the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, to direct that Electors' Photo Identity Card (EPIC) be issued to electors to facilitate their identification and prevent impersonation at the Polling Station.
The EPICs have been issued to nearly 100% of the electors in Bihar and in the 8 Assembly Constituencies going to bye-elections.
The Commission had also issued directions to all CEOs to ensure the delivery of EPICs to the new voters within 15 days of final publication of Electoral Rolls.
Further, for the convenience of voters whose names are on the electoral rolls but are unable to produce the EPIC for their identification ECI has issued notification on October 7, 2025 permitting such electors to produce any one of the 12 alternative photo identity documents:
1. Aadhaar Card
2. MNREGA Job Card
3. Passbooks with photograph issued by Bank/Post Office
4. Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour/ Ayushman Bharat Health Card
5. Driving License
6. PAN Card
7. Smart Card issued by RGI under NPR
8. Indian Passport
9. Pension document with photograph
10. Service Identity Cards with photograph issued to employees by Central/State Govt./PSUs/Public Limited Companies
11. Official identity cards issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs and
12. Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card issued by the M/o Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India
It maybe reiterated that the presence of name on the Electoral Roll is a prerequisite to be able to vote on polling day.
To encourage participation of ‘purdanasheen’ (in burqa or purdah) women, special arrangements shall be made at the Polling Stations as per extant instructions for their dignified identification in the presence of lady Polling Officers/Attendants while ensuring their privacy.
The gazette notification for the Nuapada bypoll will be published on October 13. The last date for filing nomination papers by the candidates will be October 20 and scrutiny and withdrawal of nomination papers will be on October 22 and October 24 respectively. Counting of votes will be held on November 14.
According to the draft electoral roll published in September, the constituency has over 2.48 lakh voters, including 1.22 lakh male and 1.26 lakh female. Special summary revision of electoral roll is going on in the constituency. The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of the constituency has been asked to dispose of the cases of voters who have applied for inclusion of their names and correction of their entries in the roll by October 7. The final electoral roll will be published on October 9 and updated till the date of filing of nominations.
Tags: prameyanews Election Nuapada By-elections Election Commission of India
