Q 1. Who can be enrolled as Service Voter?

Ans. A person having service qualification can be enrolled as service voter at his native place even though he actually may be resided at a different place i.e. at the place of posting.

Q 2. What is service qualification?

Ans. According to the provisions of sub-section (8) of Section 20 of RP Act, 1950 service qualifications means –
(a) Being a member of the armed Forces of the Union; or
(b) Being a member of a force to which provisions of the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 1950), have been made applicable whether with or without modifications; or
(c) Being a member of an Armed Police Force of a State, and serving outside that state; or
(d) Being a person who is employed under the Government of India, in a post outside India.

Q 3. What is the procedure for enrolment of service voter?

Ans. Person having service qualification shall have to apply in prescribed Statutory Forms i.e Form No. 2 for Armed Forces of the Union, Form 2A the Armed Forces of the State and Form 3 for the persons employed under the Government of India in a post outside India. Two copies of the forms as applicable duly filled in by the individual concerned will have to be submitted to the Officer In charge of each record office / unit or the nodal authority in Ministry of External Affairs. Every Form 2 or 2A shall be accompanied with a declaration in a prescribed format to the effect that he did not get enrolled as ordinary elector in any constituency. The officer in charge or the MEA nodal authority will check the forms and the declaration and ensure that particulars given by the applicant are correct. The officer in charge after careful verification shall sign the verification certificate provided in the form itself and forward all such applications alongwith declarations to the Chief Electoral Officer of the State mentioned in the address by the applicant in the form. The office of the CEO will forward it to the respective District Election Officer for further processing.

Q 4.Is the name of service voter included in the general voter lists or some separate list is prepared?

Ans. The list of service voters is prepared separately for an assembly constituency as a whole and all service voters are registered at the end of the Electoral Roll of a constituency called the Last Part of the Electoral Roll. All service voters of an assembly constituency are listed together, irrespective of the place of residence in this last part of the roll of the Assembly Constituency. They do not have any specific polling station.

Q 5. Is service voters issued Electors Photo Identity Cards?

Ans. No.

Q 6. How the service voters cast their votes?

Ans. Service Voters cannot cast their votes personally by visiting the polling station but they cast their votes through postal ballot. The postal ballot papers are sent to them by the Returning Officer through their Regiment / Units / Nodal Officer of Ministry of External Affairs. The members of the armed forces of the Union and the forces to which provisions of Army Act is applicable have the option of voting through a proxy duly appointed by him.

Q 7.Who is classified service voter?

Ans. The service voter who opt for voting through proxy are called classified service voter.

Q 8. Who can be appointed as Proxy and under what provisions?

Ans. Under Rule 27/N of Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 a service elector may appoint any person as his proxy to give vote on his behalf and in his name. The proxy shall have to be ordinarily resident of that constituency. He must not be disqualified to be registered as voter.

Q 9. Is the wife of a service voter who is ordinarily residing with her husband at the place of his posting can be enrolled as service voter?

Ans. Yes, the wife of a service voter shall, if she is ordinarily residing with him, be also deemed to be service voter in the constituency specified by that person provided a declaration in Form 2 or 2A that his wife ordinarily resides with him has been made. This facility is available only to the wife of a male service voter and is not available to the husband of a female service voter.