This handbook is a reference guide to activities of EPIC campaign conducted by MACRO INFOTECH on behalf of the Election commission. It consists of quick reference table that lists various scenarios in which voter may arrive at the DPL center for EPIC Card. Various procedures and functions of the DPL members in issuing electoral photo identity to voters are enumerated with explanatory notes and duties of voters for quick reference as FAQ.

What are ELECTOR’S PHOTO IDENTITY CARD (EPIC)? Are they compulsory?
Elector’s photo identity card is an official document issued by the election commission, which establishes your identity as an eligible voter. This card will soon be made mandatory for voting in elections. Election commission has the power and responsibility to make sure that all eligible voters of an area are included in the voters’ list. Commission has initiated the distribution of EPIC to the eligible voters. Citizens whose names are all ready in this residual voters list (TRE) are eligible to get the photo ID on designated days in each area. Task of issuing Photo ID has been entrusted to the private agencies with state of the art technology, where in a voter can obtain his or her card with in 15 minutes at specific centers called ‘Designated Photography Locations’ (DPL) located at the selected pooling booths in every Assembly constituency. (Annexure/watch out announcements)

NEED for EPIC: Making ID Cards mandatory to vote in an election would prevent impersonation of electors and facilitate one’s identification. It is also useful for obtaining passports, government schemes such as PDS, school admissions, account opening in banks etc.

HOW it is Issued?
An assembly constituency is divided into several parts and each part has a number. Persons, whose name are on the voters list, are given information notices by ERO offices of each area. Which contains useful informations. These need to be brought to the DPL Center by the voter.

NOTE: Should any residents’ name be not reflected in the TRE list for EPIC Disbursement on the designated day such people would also have an opportunity to register themselves at the same venue through a simple process by filling appropriate form to be eligible for receiving EPIC during the second round of campaign being announced immediately after the completion of first round. Watch out and do not miss this last opportunity ensure your name in the electoral rolls. It is the responsibility of every concerned citizen to ensure his name in the rolls and to exercise his/her franchise at the time of poll.

About this EPIC (2007) Campaign.

In 1998 the Commission took a historic decision to computerize the entire electoral rolls of 620 million voters. This work has been completed and now well-printed electoral rolls are available. The photo identity card number of the voter has also been printed in the electoral rolls, for cross-linking. The printed electoral rolls as well as CDs containing these rolls are available for sale to general public. Entire country's rolls are also available on this website. In an attempt to improve the accuracy of the electoral roll and prevent electoral fraud, the Election Commission ordered the making ofphoto identity cards for all voters in the country in Aug 1993. To take advantage of latest technological innovations, the Commission issued revised guidelines for EPIC Program in May 2000. More than 450 million Identity cards have been distributed till now.

Election commission prepares the electoral rolls through a process of intensive revision where house-to-house enumeration is done and electors residing in each house are registered by official enumerators during their visit. This process is normally done once in five years. Between two intensive revisions summary revisions are done every year during a specified period. Then persons who are left out are given the opportunity to register them selves. Also it is expected that one delete their names in the place of earlier residence in case of shifts to include here.

Accordingly intensive Electoral rolls revision commenced for the year 2007 and draft rolls were published for claims and objection at the respective polling stations in each area during AUGUST/SEPTEMBER.

After the objections and claims filling and verification final Draft of revised electoral rolls were published. From this roll Total Residual voters who are to be issued with EPIC are prepared and notices informing them to visit the DPL on designated day are announced through all the medias such as NEWS Papers, TV Stations, Radio broadcasts and Home Delivery of slips/notices informing the designated DPL days for each area.

Sequence of work flow during the campaign

1. Before the EPIC drive commences in the village/area

• Ensure that the vendor gives adequate publicity for the campaign.
  
• Ensure that the vendor generates slips addressed to voters who do not have EPIC as per the roll and distributes these slips at least two days before the commencement of the campaign.
  
• Visit every house one day before the campaign and inform them of the campaign.
  
• Ensure that the vendor sets up the center with all facilities, including a diesel genset for uninterrupted supply of electrical power. The center should be ready in all aspects at least one day before commencement of the campaign.
  
• Ensure that the center has a voters to whom EPIC should be issued (called Total Residual Electors) and a copy of the electoral roll for that part/parts for reference. Do not proceed if these are not available.

2. During the campaign, officials deputed by the AERO should be present in the center without fail.

• The name and designation of the person who is authorized to act as the in charge of the center should be informed to the vendor who would capture the particulars in the system. Do not proceed unless this is completed.
  
• Count the number of holograms given to you by the AERO. You are required to account for holograms used and therefore handle them carefully.
  
• Ensure that you have the facsimile of the ERO for affixing on the EPIC.

3. Issue of EPIC to a voter as per the list in the center –

• Ask the date of birth of the voter. See if he has any document for verifying the date. Capture the date of birth in column 3A and the proof submitted in column 3B of the form.
  
• If the voter does not know his/her date of birth, column 3A shall be filled with xxxxx and 3B shall be left blank.
• If the age as computed above and the age in the roll do not tally, the system would prompt for a change in the age of the voter. Obtain Form 8 from the voter. In these cases, you cannot proceed to issue EPIC.
  
• If the age as calculated from the date of birth and the age as mentioned in the electoral roll tally, proceed to the next step.
  
• The vendor would generate Form EPIC 001 for that voter, containing all particulars.
  
• Give the form to the voter. The voter should verify the particulars and confirm that the recorded particulars are correct. He may be allowed to make minor changes in his addresses, which should be captured in the system by the vendor. No substantial change to the address should be allowed. If the voter insists on substantial changes, obtain a request in Form 8. In such a case, do not proceed.
  
• Proceed if the voter confirms all particulars and signs the form in Part B.
  
• The official in charge of the center should sign in Part C of the form, which will authorize issue of EPIC. Remember, if you do not sign the form at this stage, the EPIC would be deemed to be unauthorized and the vendor would not get any payment for the same.
  
• The voter would proceed for photography. The vendor would get all particulars of the voter in the screen. No change of the particulars of the voter is possible at this stage, except correcting the name in English. The photograph of the voter is taken.
  
• The vendor would record details of the EPIC, like its number, etc in Part D of the form.
  
• Sign Part D of the form to authorize issue of the EPIC. Note that if you do not sign at this point, the EPIC would be deemed to be issued without authority.
  
• Request the voter to wait, as in one sheet six EPICs would be printed. Once six voters have been photographed, print the EPICs. Affix the facsimile of the ERO, affix the hologram and give for lamination.
  
• The vendor would laminate the EPIC and issue to the voters. Observe that the voter acknowledges receipt of the EPIC by signing the form in Part E. Do not allow any voter to leave the center either without taking the EPIC or taking the EPIC without properly acknowledging it.
  
• Under no circumstance, agree with the vendor to centrally generate the EPIC and revisit the village/area for issue later. EPIC should be generated and issued immediately.

4. Incorrect particulars of the voter in the list –

• Any voter whose particulars are incorrect in the roll should not be issued an EPIC.
  
• Typical of such cases are where the date of birth and the age do not match (para 3 (c)) and incorrect address of the voter (para 3 (f)).
  
• In all such cases, the voter should fill in a request for modification of particulars in Form 8.
  
• The voter should be informed that the particulars would be changed and then the EPIC would be issued in the next round.
  
• The vendor should enter details of Form 8 in the system.

5. Persons not in the list coming to the center for issue of EPIC-

• In these cases, EPIC cannot be issued, as the particulars of the voter would not be in the system.
  
• Verify if the person is a voter. If so, the roll may indicate an EPIC number against his/her name, due to which the name is not included for issue of EPIC. If the voter confirms that the number indicated is incorrect, obtain a request in Form 8 for deletion of EPIC number.
  
• If the person is not a voter, obtain a request for inclusion of name in Form 6.
  
• The person should be informed that the particulars would be verified and his/her name corrected/included in the roll and then the EPIC would be issued in the next round.
  
• The vendor should enter details of Form 6 and 8 in the system.

6. Persons having an EPIC coming for duplicate EPIC –

• The name of such voter would not be in the list and hence immediate issue of duplicate EPIC is not possible.
  
• Moreover, whether the EPIC has to be paid for by the government or by the voter has to be decided, before a duplicate can be issued.
  
• Verify if the person is a voter. If so, obtain a request in Form EPIC 002. However, if the voter wants an EPIC as he/she has shifted, ascertain if the name continues in the earlier part number/AC. If so, obtain a request in Form 7 and EPIC 002.
  
• If he/she is not a voter, request the person to fill in a request in Form 6 and EPIC 002. However, if the voter has shifted due to which he/she requests for a duplicate EPIC, obtain a request in Form 8A and EPIC 002.
  
• The voter should be informed that the request would be considered and taken up in the second round.
  
• The vendor should enter details of Form 6, 7, 8A and EPIC 002 in the system.

7. At the end of the day –

• Assess the number of voters covered. If the coverage is not satisfactory, contact the voters and persuade them to come to the center the next day.
  
• You should ensure that by the time you complete the first round, at least 80% of the voters in the list are covered.
  
• If there is any resistance/reluctance on the part of the voters, bring it to the notice of the ERO and AERO.
  
• Ensure that the vendor completes data entry of all Forms 6, 7, 8, 8A and EPIC 002 received during the day. Under no circumstance, should you allow data entry after leaving the village/area.
  
• Ensure that the vendor logs on to the internet, and uploads particulars of coverage achieved during the day.
  
• Remember if the vendor does not log in and upload data, the performance of your center will not be updated and your center will be shown as lagging, attracting the adverse attention of Observers and the CEO.

8. At the end of the first round in the village/area –

• Ensure that you have covered at least 80% of the voters in the list.
  
• Collect a list of voters whose name was in the list but who did not turn up for the campaign from the vendor.
  
• Typical reasons for not coming could be – voter dead, voter shifted, voter already has EPIC but the details are missing with authorities, voter existing but did not come for some other reason, etc.
  
• Contact each household and verify the existence of the voter. Cases where the voter is dead or shifted should be recorded clearly against the name of the voter.
  
• If the voter exists and has an EPIC already, verify the care and note down the number of the card in the list. In such cases, obtain Form 8.
  
• If the voter has not come for some other reason, inform him that a second round would be taken up and that he/she should come, failing which he/she would not be allowed to vote in the next election.
  
• Do not add any names to the list.
  
• During such visit, ascertain if there any voters who have EPIC, but whose names have been omitted for some reason. If you detect such voters, obtain Form 6 and prepare a report.
  
• Verify if there any new persons eligible to be enrolled. If so, obtain Form 6 from them.
  
• The vendor shall thereafter enter details of the forms collected and point Forms 9 (a list of all Forms 6 received), 10 (a list of all Form 7 received), 11 (a list of all Forms 8 received), and a summary of all Forms 8A and Forms EPIC 002 received.
  
• Collect undistributed EPICs, if any, from the vendor.
  
• After (k), the vendor is free to leave the village/area.
  
• Verify all Forms 6, 7, 8, 8A and EPIC 002. Clearly report on whether the request for inclusion or modification can be accepted. Similarly, report on the circumstances under which a duplicate card is to be issued – wrong/incomplete particulars in the EPIC issued earlier, lost cards, mutilated cards, voter shifted, etc are some common reasons.
  
• Hand over all forms and your report to the AERO.
  
• Your responsibilities come to an end at this stage.

9. In the second round –

• The procedure in paras 1, 2, and 3 shall be followed.
  
• If you have completed the first round satisfactorily, then you should not have any requests for inclusions, modifications, etc.
  
• If such cases arise, contact the ERO for guidance.
  
• When you complete the second round, the coverage of EPIC in that village/area shall be at least 97%.
  
• If it is not so, you may expect the CEO to launch another round till the coverage reaches that level.