No, NRI Voters Can’t Vote Online in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections

The claim is false. An NRI voter has to come to the designated polling station with their passport to cast vote.

No, NRI voters cannot vote online in the Lok Sabha elections 2019 as has been claimed by a viral image.

(Photo altered by The Quint)

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CLAIM

With the only days to go for the first phase polling in the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for 11 April, social media platforms are increasingly becoming a hub for election-related information.

A viral post is doing rounds on WhatsApp and other online platforms, claiming that voters who hold an Indian passport can vote online in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The message further contains a link to ECI’s website, where it claims that NRI voters can further enroll online.

Message on WhatsApp claiming NRI voters can vote online in Lok Sabha polls 2019.(Photo Courtesy: Twitter / @SpokespersonECI)

Message on Twitter claiming NRI voters can vote online in Lok Sabha polls 2019.(Photo: Screenshot via Twitter/ @DrRSingh1969)

Message on Facebook claiming NRI voters can vote online in Lok Sabha polls 2019.(Photo: Screenshot via Facebook/ @OpeningHeartsFoundation)

TRUE OR FALSE

This claim is partially true. The ECI does provide an option for NRI voters to enroll online however, they cannot vote online during the polls as the viral message claims.

An Indian citizen who is 18 years and above as per the polling year, can enroll online through the National Voter's Service Portal or by using Voter helpline mobile app.

NRI voters can register for a voter card by filling Form 6A available on the NSVP website.

To cast vote, the NRI voter has to be physically present at the respective polling station with his/her passport.

Responding to the viral message which claims NRI voters can cast votes online in the upcoming polls, an ECI spokesperson on Twitter said "To cast vote, an overseas voter may come to his/her designated polling station with passport as document for identification."

The spokesperson also clarified that there is no online voting facility for any category of voter.

The spokesperson in a notification further said that the ECI has written to the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) of Delhi to "lodge FIR & investigate the matter of fake news, relating to voting by NRIs using ECI logo."

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter / @SpokespersonECI)

(Editor’s note: This story was first published on 25 February and was updated on 8 April to reflect the dates of polling in the Lok Sabha elections.)

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