HYDERABAD: With elections to Assembly and Lok Sabha being around the corner in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the voters with dual voter cards in the two Telugu states are said to be getting ready to vote in the upcoming elections. A few thousand voters who exercised their franchise in the recently concluded Telangana Assembly elections are said to be getting ready to go to Andhra Pradesh as they are also registered voters there to vote.
Meanwhile, hectic activity has been observed as hundreds of residents from AP who are residing in Hyderabad and peripheral areas of the city are making efforts to get enrolled as voters in Andhra Pradesh too. However, the ECI clearly states that a voter can enrol for the first time as a voter by submitting Form 6 to ERO.
In case of shifting from one place to another, Form 8 has to be submitted to the ERO concerned to effect changes in electoral rolls. The ECI has directed district collectors in Andhra Pradesh to scrutinise new voter applications for duplicate votes. It emphasised that no person can be registered as a voter in two places or states.
“A person cannot be enrolled as a voter at more than one place given the provisions contained in Sections 17 and 18 of Representation of the People Act, 1950. Likewise, no person can be enrolled as an elector more than once in any electoral roll. if anyone violates this rule, he is liable to be punished under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The punishment may extend to one-year imprisonment or fine or both,” election authorities told TNIE.
Further, they stated that the main criteria for enrolling a voter is based on his domicile and place of ordinary residence. The place of ordinary residence is the place where he sleeps at night.