It is more than 17 years since I am eligible to Vote. Finally I managed to get myself registered in the voting list and got Voter's ID card. It was a bit difficult process but I did it. Hope my name will be there in voting list when it finally get published. In India you never know what happens.
Here it goes my experience to get it done. If you are patient enough you can just jump to the "Lessons Learned" section directly at the bottom of the blog to help it getting your name registered.
ECI (Election Commission of India) is running VFC(Voter Facilitation Centers) in Bangalore since Feb to help citizens to register in the voting list. We download the Form 6 from Internet filled the details. Filling the form was easy as I could find my assembly constituency correctly and find out the correct office to submit the form. (Some google searches and
Jaagore helped me to get these information).
The VFC office for me was at the BBMP office at KR Puram on Old Madras Road just next to the Bus Stop/Bus Stand. We reached the office on Feb 15th, 2009 with filled forms and photocopies to show the Age Proof(Passport) and Address Proof(BSNL Telephone bill). The queue was not long. Might be 10 people. But the processing time is very low as it took half an hour to reach the counter. At the counter the officer told he need the Form 6 in duplicate and requested us to take photocopy of the same. So there was a photocopy shop right next compound wall and there are some stones and a tree which helps to climb wall reach the shop. Yes with all the copies we are back to counter and he accepted the application and given us the acknowledgement. He also told us to come after 2 weeks to check whether your name is added in the list and take the photo ID card.
While taking the photocopy in the shop, there were people were saying us this application is useless and the vote mafia will not allow to get your name enrolled or your name may be hijacked. But we didn't get discouraged and wanted to give a try in our system. We went as small group. It is me, my wife, my cousin and his wife.
March 1st, 2009 Sunday. My cousin was in full swing to go to office to get the Voter ID card. We were at the VFC very well dressed to get the photos done. The Submission queue was long and queue to find your name added is not big at all. We showed our slips and the lady at the counter after few mins search in computer told us not yet added. Please come after a week. Little disappointed and felt it is not yet time to give up. So planned to come next week again.
The next weekend I was off to ooty and my cousin and wife went there again on Sunday March 8th 2009. Still name not added they met the officer in charge who told that form is send to ARO office in CV RamanNagar and waiting for its return. So try your luck next week again.
So Yesterday March 15th we were at the VFC by 11:30 AM. The queue was very long might be 30 people. I joined the end of the queue. Since queue was long my wife, my cousin and family given their slips to me and went home. And I told them if name is there I will call them and they can come at that time. It is 1:10 PM when I reached the front of the queue. Most of the people in the queue had submitted application on and around March 1st and was not successful and going back. I lost the faith in the system and was thinking that if the name is not added will not come back again. But after taking the slip and searching the lady at counter was asking my Father name and verifying it is correct. WOW !!!!! Names of all us were added and we got 'P' Number and 'S' number and requested to proceed to the Another queue for the ID card.
Since it is lunch time I decided to go home and come back in the evening. (12 kms is distance between home and this office) We were back to the queue to take photo by 4:50 PM. There might be some 30 plus people in queue. The queue is very slow. By 6 PM we were near the door of the room where the photo is taken. There are 10-12 people ahead of us. The Security made an announcement that by 7 PM the centre closes. So no photos after 7. While standing the queue we figured out that it will take average 5 mins per person. Two people standing behind us left thinking that queue will not make it. It was like a close call for us. But still we decided to hang on. My wife was already telling me why the hell you waste your time when the choice is like thief, murderer, mafia, corrupt or religious fanatic. So forcing her back to stand on queue for another 2 hours another day will be difficult one.
By 6:30 the staff decided allow all people standing in queue inside the room and close the door so that no one will be newly added to the queue and allow all the people to standing queue to have the card. It was like a cool rain for us on a very hot day.
By 6:50 we were on the front of the queue and took the photo. There were some minor corrections in name spelling, Address and last name missing etc. He added the last name in English but not in Kannada. And finally by 6:50 PM we got the card and walked out of the VFC. Hope my name will be in final voters list and I can vote this time !!! Will update about this later.
Lessons Learned
1) The processing time at counter are very slow. Avg time for single photo card is 5 mins. So expect a waiting time accordingly.
2) Verify you name, DOB, Address, Fathers Name, Sex correctly before printing. May allow minor corrections before printing.
3) We observed that only the "Name" is entered in the ID card and system. Surname is missing. So fill the form with the Name and leaving surname field empty so that your card will have correct name. Not sure this is practice or a rule?
4) If the expanded initial are complex don't expand it while filling the form. Just give the initials alone. This is big problem if expansions are not native(Kannada) and then Kannda version may sounds completely different.
5) Go to the office with with 2-3 copies of filled form and proofs also. If they asked additional you don't have to run around.
6) There are self appointed consultants help in filling and selling the forms for 10rs in the compound.
Some Fun while waiting the queues.
1) An Old man in 60-70''s and his Date birth in card is given as 1973. He is only 38.
2) Another person his fathers name is changed to "Raja Mannikchan" Instead of "Mathura Nayakam" or some thing.
3) Another person Sex was completely changed from Male to Female.
4) A lady standing front of me had a long name. ( Kizhakethil Sashindhran Jyothi..) When this mallu name translated to Kannada and entered it became a complete different name. The guy taking photo was not capable enough to enter the same in Kannada Correctly using an english keyboard. So they gave up and didn't took the photo id card. My suggestion here is enter it as K. S Jyothi. There might be more chance that your name will be correct.
5) Another guys name was "Prijesh" and the name was change to "P Rijesh". Don't know he corrected and got the card.
6) For another family half of the photo taken and card issues for someone else already!!!
WOW, I am all set to vote. The next steps will be
1) Fight out the candidates who are contesting and choose one
2) Verify the name is final voting list
3) Find the polling booth.
Thanks ECI for having the VFC's.
