The Indian government has extended the deadline for linking Aadhaar card with voter ID to March 31, 2024, from the earlier April 1, 2023. Users can link their Aadhaar with Voter ID online or through SMS. However, the government has stated that it is voluntary and not mandatory. The Election Commission has stated that this linking helps in the “identification of registration of the name of the same person in more than one constituency or more than once in the same constituency”.
The Lok Sabha had passed the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill in December 2021, which authorised the linking of Aadhaar with Voter IDs. The aim of the bill is to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls and prevent voter fraud. The Election Commission offers a form to weed out duplicate entries in the electoral roll. Forms 6, 7, 8 have been modified and a new Form 6B has been introduced for the collection of Aadhaar data of electors to make the forms for registration of electors user-friendly.
To link your Aadhaar card with your voter ID online, follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Visit the official website of the National Voter's Service Portal (NVSP) - nvsp.in. Step 2: Log in to the portal and go to the "Search in Electoral Roll" option on the homepage. Step 3: Feed in personal details and enter the Aadhaar number. Step 4: After entering Aadhaar details, users will receive an OTP on the registered mobile number or email. Step 5: To authenticate, enter the OTP. Once done, your Voter ID card will be linked to the Aadhaar card.
Those who prefer the offline route can submit a hard copy of Form 6B to booth-level officers. These officers have been asked to digitise the collected forms within seven days of their receipt.