The Election Commission of India has directed election authorities in 20 states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been completed to launch special drives for enrolling eligible voters whose names were left out, along with young and first-time electors. The initiative will operate through the continuous updation process, allowing eligible citizens who were missed during or after SIR to approach their Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and seek inclusion in the electoral rolls using Form 6. The Election Commission has also directed Chief Electoral Officers and district-level election authorities to facilitate the enrolment process.
The move comes after the SIR exercise resulted in around 13 crore names being removed from draft electoral rolls across states and Union Territories. The Election Commission has clarified that this figure represents deletions from draft rolls and does not mean that all those removed were eligible voters who were wrongly excluded. Under the special drive, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct house-to-house visits to identify eligible voters who may have been left out and assist them in completing Form 6 wherever required. The ECI has said the objective of SIR is to ensure that eligible citizens are not left out while ineligible names are not included in the electoral rolls.
The Election Commission has asked BLOs to cover at least 20 to 25 electors each week so that the exercise can be completed in roughly a month. During their visits, officials will record the current status of voters and facilitate Form 6 applications for eligible left-out, young and first-time electors. The ECI has previously stated that its revision process involves house-to-house verification by BLOs, while eligible voters who could not submit their enumeration forms can use Form 6 during the relevant claims and objections process. In states where SIR has already concluded, the Election Commission has also removed the additional SIR-related declaration from the online Form 6 process, leaving applicants to use the statutory Form 6 prescribed under the electoral rules.
