Name Missing After SIR ? EC Opens Form 6 Route For Eligible Voters In 20 States, UTs

The Election Commission of India has asked states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been completed to launch a special enrolment drive for eligible voters left out of the rolls.

The directive covers 20 states and Union Territories and is aimed at helping people left out during or after the revision, as well as young and first-time voters.

The commission issued the direction in writing to Chief Electoral Officers on September 29 and reiterated it during a video conference with state Chief Electoral Officers on Thursday, reported the Indian Express.

The EC has asked Chief Electoral Officers, District Election Officers and Electoral Registration Officers to assist such voters in applying for inclusion through the continuous updation process.

The move comes amid scrutiny over deletions during the revision exercise. Around 13 crore names were removed from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union Territories. The latest directive applies only to states and Union Territories where the revision has been completed, while the exercise is still underway elsewhere.

Form 6 Changes

The EC has also changed the application process for voters seeking re-enrolment in states where the revision has ended. Such voters can now use the regular statutory Form 6 without the additional declaration that was required during the SIR.

In its September 29 communication, the commission clarified that the additional declaration applied only during the revision period. Outside the SIR process, forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, will be used.

The change is significant because the online Form 6 had earlier asked applicants whether they or their parents were listed in the electoral roll prepared after the last revision. The change had drawn objections from Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

Roll Review Process

The EC has also ordered a roll-by-roll review. During Thursday’s video conference, state election officials were asked to compare electoral rolls prepared before and after the SIR and identify voters who may have been deleted without sufficient grounds, according to The Indian Express.

Officials have been asked to examine cases where voters were not mapped elsewhere and were not found to be duplicates or deceased.

In such cases, Booth Level Officers may visit voters at their homes and assist them in filing Form 6 for inclusion in the electoral rolls.

The commission has also asked state election officials to involve political parties and their booth-level agents in the exercise.

The review is aimed at identifying eligible voters whose names may have been removed during the revision and facilitating their re-enrolment.

Goa Voters Case

The special enrolment drive also provides a route for 97 voters in Goa whose names were left out of the state's final electoral roll despite being found eligible by Electoral Registration Officers.

The EC directed Booth Level Officers in Goa to conduct house-to-house visits to these voters and collect their Form 6 applications.

As of September 26, 81 of the 97 voters had already filled out Form 6 forms for inclusion.

The ECI later said 88 of the 97 voters had either filed Form 6 applications or had their applications accepted. Of the remaining nine, three were found to hold Portuguese passports and six were residing outside India.

Ongoing SIR Safeguards

The latest order is separate from safeguards issued for states where the SIR is still underway. At its September 26 meeting, the EC laid down safeguards for voters who receive notices during the ongoing revision.

Voters issued notices for being “unmapped” or for “logical discrepancies” do not have to appear personally in every case. Booth Level Officers can collect documents from their homes and upload them to the ECINET system for examination by the Electoral Registration Officer.

The ECI has said hearings will be held only in exceptional circumstances.

The commission has extended the deadline for filing claims and objections in Delhi to October 30, with disposal allowed until November 30.

In Maharashtra, the deadline for filing claims and objections has been extended to October 12, while disposal has been allowed until November 10.

The EC said the SIR has so far been completed in 20 states and Union Territories, including Bihar and West Bengal. It said eligible people left out of the rolls, as well as young and first-time voters, can seek inclusion through the continuous updation process where the revision has been completed, while the exercise continues in other states.