Even as Tamil Nadu is all set to witness two sets of elections – the 2019 Lok Sabha polls on April 18 as well as bye-polls in 18 assembly constituencies, you, the voter, can still register to vote. The deadline to register to vote, if you haven't already done so, is Saturday, March 16 in Tamil Nadu. This is due to the Election Commission of India’s norm that the last date for voter registration is 10 days before the last date for filing nominations.

Tamil Nadu, along with the union territory of Puducherry, will go to polls in Phase I of the Indian General Elections. As per the Election Commission of India’s announcement on Sunday, political parties in the state are expected to file their nominations between March 19 and March 26. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is March 29. Results will be announced on May 23 with counting of ballots set to take place on a single day.

The bye-polls would take place simultaneously along with Lok Sabha polls. The results too would be announced on the same day on Thursday, May 23. The constituencies that will go to polls on April 18 are Poonamallee (SC), Perambur, Thiruporur, Sholingur, Gudiyattham (SC), Ambur, Hosur, Pappireddippatti, Harur (SC), Nilakkottai (SC), Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Manamadurai (SC), Andipatti, Periyakulam (SC), Sattur, Paramakudi (SC) and Vilathikulam.

Tamil Nadu’s Chief Electoral Officer, Satyabrata Sahoo clarified in a press conference in Chennai that bye-polls to Ottapidaram, Aravakurichi and Thiruparankundram assembly constituencies would not take place as petitions on the polls are still pending in court.

How to register to vote?

• Those who want to register to vote, change their address or look if their names are on the electoral roll, you can visit the National Voter Service Portal.  (Sometimes the website does not load. It is better to access it on a desktop rather than a cellphone. Please be patient.)
• New voters must fill Form 6 in order to register themselves as voters. You will need a passport sized photo and proof of age and residence.
• There may be cases, where people who are alive appear as deceased on the electoral roll. Age of person or spelling of name may be incorrect. To update or correct the details on the electoral roll, one must fill Form 8.
• If you have relocated to a different location within the constituency, use Form 8A.
• If you wish to delete your name from the voters’ list from any constituency and relocate to a new constituency, Form 6 must be filled along with Form 7. Form 6 is to register to vote in a new constituency and by filling Form 7, your name will be deleted from the voters’ list in the old constituency.  
• You can also collect two copies of the above mentioned forms from the Electoral Registration Office, Assistant Electoral Office and Booth Level Offices located in your constituency. You will have to fill the form and submit hard copies of age and address proof to the said office itself.
• Voters could also approach their local tahsildar office to register to vote.

What is an electoral roll?

An electoral roll is a list of names prepared by the Election Commission of India. This includes the names of all the people, aged 18 years and above, who have voter ID cards. Basically, all the people who will be able to vote for the upcoming elections.

If your already have a voter ID card, then ideally, your name should appear on the electoral roll. However, sometimes this is not the case – many people have realised only when they reach the polling booth that their name is not on the electoral roll, despite the fact that they have a voter ID. Hence, it is crucial to check if your name appears on the voter list ahead of the polls. You can check whether your name is on the electoral roll here (this website too may not load sometimes but it works). In case it does not load, you can log on to the National Voter Service Portal. On the left hand side of the home page, you can see a search bar where you can look for your name on the electoral roll.