Voter ID-Aadhaar Linking: EC Ensures Voluntary Process, No Deletion Of Names

The Election Commission (EC) has announced that linking voter cards with Aadhaar will be done in accordance with the prevailing law and the Supreme Court's directions. EC's decision was made after a high-level meeting with top government officials, including the Union home secretary, legislative secretary, MeitY secretary, and the UIDAI CEO.

The EC stated that the linking process will be entirely voluntary and guided by constitutional provisions and statutory safeguards. The Election Commission has made provisions for the voters so that voters can choose to link their Aadhaar details with their voter ID cards, but it's not mandatory.

According to Article 326 of the Constitution, voting rights can only be granted to Indian citizens. Aadhaar, on the other hand, establishes a person's identity. Therefore, the EC has decided to link elector photo identity cards (EPICs) with Aadhaar only as per the provisions of Article 326, sections 23(4), 23(5), and 23(6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and in line with the Supreme Court's 2023 judgment on Aadhaar.

Technical consultations between the UIDAI and the EC's technical experts are set to begin soon to chart the way forward for the exercise. 

The government has informed Parliament that no target or timeline has been fixed for the process and that names of those who do not link their Aadhaar details with the voters' list will not be struck off the electoral rolls.