EPIC stands for Electors Photo Identity Card: the official name of what everyone calls the voter ID card. The EPIC number is the unique code printed on it, and it is how the Election Commission identifies your entry on the electoral roll.
Where to find it
It is printed on the front of the card, usually at the top. The format is typically three letters followed by seven digits: an alphabetic series identifying the issuing area, then a serial number.
If you do not have the card to hand, you can find the number by searching the electoral roll by your personal details. A successful search returns it.
Why it matters
Almost every Election Commission online service asks for it, because it is an exact match. Searching by name means fighting transliteration: Sanjay against Sanjai, initials expanded or dropped, a middle name present in one record and absent in another. Searching by EPIC number sidesteps all of that.
You will need it to:
- Look up your entry reliably
- Download your e-EPIC
- File a change of address
- Correct your details
- Track any application you have filed
It is worth saving somewhere you can reach without the physical card.
What it is not
It is not your voter serial number. Two different numbers get confused constantly:
- The EPIC number identifies you. It normally stays with you for life, including when you move constituency.
- The part number and serial number describe where you sit in a particular roll. They change whenever the roll is revised or you move.
Polling staff work from part and serial numbers. Online services work from the EPIC number. Both are useful; they are not interchangeable.
It is not proof of citizenship. The EPIC establishes that you are a registered elector. It is widely accepted as photo identity for unrelated purposes, but that is convention rather than its legal purpose.
Does it change when you move?
Normally no. A shift of residence moves your existing entry rather than creating a new one, and the EPIC number travels with it. What changes is your constituency, part number, serial number and polling station.
If you have two EPIC numbers
That means two entries on the electoral roll, which is not permitted. It usually happens when someone files Form 6 after moving instead of Form 8: registering afresh rather than transferring.
Get the duplicate removed. Form 7 is the application for deletion of an entry. Leaving both in place is a problem, and being registered twice is an offence rather than a convenience.
The full set of forms is listed on the ECI forms dashboard.
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