BMC elections 2026: Parel voter denied entry as digital ID not accepted

Pic/Eeshanpriya MS

A young voter from Parel, who earlier resided in Prabhadevi and has voted in the area in the past, faced difficulties while attempting to cast his vote on Thursday morning due to the absence of a physical identity document.

DigiLocker ID not accepted inside polling booth

The voter was carrying his mobile phone and work laptop and expected that a digital identity document stored on the government-backed DigiLocker app would be accepted as valid proof for voting.

Mobile phone ban leads to denial of entry

However, as mobile phones are not permitted inside polling booths and identity documents are required to be shown inside the booth prior to voting, he was denied entry into the polling station.

Election officials cite State Election Commission rules

The voter was seen engaging in a discussion with election officials outside the polling premises. Responding to his request, officials reportedly told him, "We have to follow the rules issued by the State Election Commission and cannot make exceptions. Digital IDs, even on government applications such as DigiLocker, are not included in the list of valid identity proofs for voting. Mobile phones are not allowed inside the booth, even in airplane mode."

Voter explains assumption about DigiLocker validity

Speaking to mid-day, the voter said, "I came early to vote so that I could avoid traffic between Parel and Prabhadevi. I did not check the Election Commission website or the rule book. However, since DigiLocker is accepted for most official purposes such as banking and airport travel, I assumed it would also be valid for voting."

Voter allowed to return with printed ID

After repeated requests, the voter was eventually permitted to step out, obtain a printed copy of his identity proof, and return to the polling station to cast his vote.