Form 6 Controversy: ECI Faces Questions Over New Declaration For First-Time Voters

A controversy has emerged over changes made to Form 6, the application used by first-time voters to register on electoral rolls, after a report by The Indian Express claimed that two Election Commissioners raised objections over the modification during discussions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

According to the report, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections at least 14 times over a period of 10 months on decisions related to electoral roll revisions. Some of these objections were linked to changes introduced in Form 6, the report said.

The Election Commission of India (ECI), however, said that differences during internal discussions were part of the regular decision-making process and maintained that all decisions of the full commission were unanimous.

Objections Over Change In Form 6

Form 6 is used by citizens applying for voter registration for the first time, including those who have recently turned 18 and eligible adults who were not previously enrolled.

The form is prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and requires applicants to provide personal details, photographs, age proof and address proof.

According to The Indian Express report, the online version of Form 6 was modified in July 2026 to include a new declaration linked to the SIR process.

The added section asks applicants whether their own name, or the name of a parent or grandparent, appeared in the electoral roll from the previous SIR.

Applicants are required to select whether:

• their own name appeared in the previous SIR roll;

• their parent’s or grandparent’s name appeared; or

• none of these names appeared.

The declaration was made mandatory for completing the online application.

Sandhu, Joshi Questioned Process

The report said Joshi raised objections in May, arguing that Form 6 could not be modified without amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

Sandhu later supported the objection. According to the report, he described the change as “unauthorised and illegal” and said it “must be removed immediately”.

The objections centred around the process followed to make the change. The commissioners reportedly argued that since Form 6 is part of the rules framed under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, any alteration required a formal amendment through the prescribed legal process.

Under Section 28 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Centre frames and amends electoral rules after consulting the Election Commission. Such amendments are notified and placed before Parliament.

EC Says Decisions Were Unanimous

Responding to the report, the Election Commission said that operational queries and inputs raised by commissioners during internal discussions were part of the standard process.

The poll body said all decisions of the full commission, including those related to the SIR exercise, were taken unanimously with the approval of all three commissioners.

Former Chief Election Commissioners SY Quraishi and OP Rawat told Hindustan Times that the objections raised by Sandhu and Joshi were significant. Rawat described the change as “absolutely wrong and illegal”.

Concerns Over Impact On Voters

The change has also raised concerns over how first-time applicants and voters affected by deletions from electoral rolls may be impacted.

In states where the previous SIR was conducted in the early 2000s, many young applicants turning 18 today would not find their own names in those older rolls. They may instead have to provide details linking them to the electoral records of parents or grandparents.

The requirement could create challenges for people who have migrated, relocated across states or do not have access to older electoral records.

The issue has also drawn attention because voters whose names were removed during the ongoing SIR process may need to apply again for inclusion.

Reports have said more than 13 crore names have been deleted from draft electoral rolls across states and Union Territories during the SIR exercise.

However, Form 6 carries a declaration stating that the applicant is applying for inclusion in the electoral roll for the first time and that their name is not included in any Assembly or parliamentary constituency.

This has raised questions over how deleted voters seeking restoration of their names would use a form designed primarily for first-time registration