Election FAQs: Who are service voters?

The Election Commission of India announced the dates to Assembly Elections in four states and one Union Territory - Assam, Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, on Friday.

About 18.68 crore electors will cast their votes in these states and union territory. Among voters that are supposed to vote during the elections, there’s a category called ‘service voters’.

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Who are service voters?

Service voters are those who have a service qualification. Someone who is either a member of the Armed Forces of the Union, Armed Police Force of a State, or someone who is merely employed under the Government of India.

Service voters can cast their votes either through postal ballot or through a proxy voter duly appointed to them. A voter who opts to vote through a proxy is called a Classified Service Voter.

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How is a service voter different from an ordinary elector?

According to the Election Commission of India, While an ordinary elector is registered in the electoral roll of the constituency in which his place of ordinary residence is located, a person having service qualification can get enrolled as a ‘service voter’ at his native place even though he actually may be residing at a different place (of posting). He has, however, an option to get himself enrolled as a general elector at the place of his posting where he factually, at the point of time, is residing ordinarily with his family for a sufficient span of time.

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Is the wife or son/daughter of a service voter also enrolled as a service voter?

If the wife is ordinally residing with the service voter, then he/she shall be eligible to be enrolled as a Service Voters in the constituency concerned. However, this facility is not available for husbands of female service voters under the existing law.