Section18
The Representation of the People Act, 1950

No person to be registered more than once in any constituency

In force From 12 May 1950 Act 43 of 1950 As on 18 Oct 2026

Act 43 of 1950 Ministry Law and Justice Enacted 12 May 1950 In force 12 May 1950 Cited by 1 provision

Section 18 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 deals with no person to be registered more than once in any constituency. No person shall be entitled to be registered in the electoral roll for any constituency more than once. The Act came into force on 12 May 1950.

No person shall be entitled to be registered in the electoral roll for any constituency more than once.

Section 18, The Representation of the People Act, 1950 (Act 43 of 1950).

Cross-references

Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.

Related judgements & precedents

These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.

  1. Shyamdeo Pd. Singh vs Nawal Kishore Yadav

    Supreme Court of India 28 Aug 2000 Binding (Supreme Court)

    Court's Decision & Legal Precedent

    Inclusion of persons in the electoral roll who are not qualified to be enrolled under Section 27 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 cannot constitute a ground for setting aside an election of a returned candidate under Section 100 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, unless such persons are explicitly disqualified under Section 16 of the 1950 Act. A person validly enrolled in the electoral roll by authorized authorities is entitled to cast a vote and cannot be excluded from exercising voting rights on the ground that they did not satisfy eligibility requirements, as the electoral roll becomes final and conclusive as to qualification matters from the last date for nominations until completion of the election. The distinction between statutory disqualification (which bars voting even if enrolled) and lack of qualification (which may have required denial of enrollment but does not bar voting once enrolled) is fundamental to election law. Non-compliance with electoral roll preparation procedures, while subject to criticism and administrative correction, does not provide grounds for election petition challenge post-nomination deadline.

    On this section: Restrains any person being registered in more than one electoral roll

    Read the full order on eCourts India

The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.

Questions about Section 18

What have the courts held on Section 18 of the Representation of the People Act?

Shyamdeo Pd. Singh vs Nawal Kishore Yadav (28 Aug 2000) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Restrains any person being registered in more than one electoral roll.

How do I find court cases under Section 18 of the Representation of the People Act?

In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Representation of the People Act 18, section 18 Representation of the People Act, section 18 of the Representation of the People Act. People searching for it also type what does the number 18 represent. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Shyamdeo Pd. Singh vs Nawal Kishore Yadav (28 Aug 2000).

What should I read with Section 18 of the Representation of the People Act, and has it changed?

1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it.

When did Section 18 of the Representation of the People Act come into force?

Section 18 of the Representation of the People Act, cited as Representation of the People Act 18, came into force on 12 May 1950, having been enacted on 12 May 1950. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.

Other sections of this Act

Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 18 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.