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To facilitate voters in Punjab during the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has recognized 12 additional documents as proof of identity, in addition to the Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC), for casting votes on June 1, 2024.
Any of these documents can be presented by the voter as proof of identity at the polling station. The ECI has issued directives stating that voters who do not possess an EPIC can utilize 12 alternative documents to establish their identity. Quoting the directives of the Election Commission of India, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, Sibin C, informed that voters without an EPIC can still cast their votes if they possess any of the following alternative documents: Aadhaar card, MGNREGA job card, Bank or Post office passbooks with photographs, Health insurance smart card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour, Driving License, PAN card, Smart card issued by RGI under NPR, Indian Passport, Pension documents with photograph, service ID cards (with photograph) issued by Central or State governments or Public Sector Undertakings/Public limited Companies, official identity card issued to MPs/MLAs/MLCs, and Unique Disability ID (UDID) issued by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. These total 12 documents to be used as identity proof. Sibin C emphasized that the Election Commission's target of "Is Baar 70 Paar" cannot be achieved without the active participation of voters, hence all voters must exercise their franchise. He urged all voters to participate in the Lok Sabha elections with utmost enthusiasm. Notably, in the 2019 General elections, the border state of Punjab saw a 65.9% voter turnout, among which 65.63 percentage of female and 66.2% of male participated in the electoral process. The average voter turnout for the 2019 General assembly elections was 67.11%. The 2024 elections in the state of Punjab are scheduled for 1 June 2024 to elect 13 members of 18th Lok Sabha. (ANI)
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