Thiruvananthapuram: Despite applying to have their names added to the electoral rolls, lakhs of voters in Kerala have been waiting for their voter identity cards for the past 18 months.

Tired of the long wait, some of them re-applied for the inclusion of their names. However, officials, failing to notice the duplication, inadvertently added them to the rolls, raising concerns about potential duplications in the voter list.

In a recent incident in the Kozhikode district, a voter received three identity cards, leading the state's chief election officer to suspend two officials involved in the oversight.

Voter identity cards for those who applied since June 2022 were issued starting from November 2023. Due to the delay, many applicants re-applied for the cards. However, these applicants may also face legal repercussions since they had to declare that they were not already included in the electoral rolls.

To address the issue, the chief election officer convened a meeting of district collectors and instructed them to thoroughly scrutinize the voters' list. Voters whose names appear on the rolls can still cast their votes using other official identity cards, but many prefer to wait for the voter identity card as it contains the necessary details for checking the list.

Individuals can verify their inclusion in the voter list through the Election Commission website (www.eci.gov.in), the Voter Helpline app, or by visiting the election wing in Taluk offices. If they don't know their voter card number, they can use a family member's or neighbor's number or seek assistance from the booth-level officer.

How to include name in voters' list?

For those looking to include their names in the voters' list, Indian citizens aged 18 or above can do so online. After creating an account on voters.eci.gov.in/signup and providing personal details, including uploading relevant documents and a photograph, their names will undergo scrutiny and, if approved, will be added to the list. The voter identity card (EPIC) will then be dispatched by post or can be downloaded from the Voter Helpline app.

Applications for name inclusion in the voters' list can be submitted until ten days before the last day for candidates to submit their nomination forms. The block-level officer responsible can be found by checking the list on the voters.eci.gov.in portal.