EC orders special drive in 20 states to add voters left out after SIR; BLOs to go door-to-door | What voters need to do

PTC Web Desk:  The Election Commission has directed election authorities in 20 states and Union Territories (UTS) to launch special enrolment drives for voters whose names were left out during or after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The exercise will also cover young people who have become eligible to vote and first-time voters who are yet to be enrolled.

The Election Commission said the drive would be carried out under the existing process of continuous updation of electoral rolls. Eligible people whose names are missing can approach the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) concerned and apply for inclusion through Form 6.

The move comes after the SIR process resulted in the removal of around 13 crore names from draft electoral rolls across states and Union Territories. The figure represents deletions from draft rolls and should not be read as meaning that all 13 crore people were eligible voters who were wrongly removed. The reasons for non-inclusion can include people who have shifted, died, are duplicated in the rolls or otherwise do not meet the eligibility requirements.

Also Read | After internal objections, EC withdraws SIR declaration from Form 6 in states where revision is complete

Also Read | Gyanesh Kumar and SIR controversy explained: 5 key persons, 14 objections and what happened inside ECI

BLOs to visit homes of voters left out

As part of the new exercise, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will identify electors whose names appeared in earlier rolls but are missing from the current list.

The BLOs will then make house-to-house visits to check the present status of such voters. Where a person is found to be eligible, the officer will help facilitate the filing of Form 6 for enrolment.

The Election Commission has asked BLOs to cover around 20 to 25 electors every week, with the exercise expected to be completed in about a month.

The officers would record the status of the people they contact and indicate cases where Form 6 has been submitted.

The drive is also intended to make the enrolment process easier for people who may need assistance in completing the formalities.

Special attention to young and first-time voters

The Election Commission has specifically included young and first-time eligible voters in the exercise. This means people who have recently become eligible to vote can also approach election officials for inclusion in the electoral roll. The ECI's voter services portal provides Form 6 for new voter registration for eligible citizens.

The EC has stressed that voter registration is a continuous process. Therefore, a person who was not included during the SIR process can still seek enrolment if they meet the eligibility conditions.

Booth-level camps planned

Election authorities have also been asked to provide assistance through booth-level camps and other field-level arrangements.

Special camps may be organised for people who could face difficulties accessing the enrolment process, including residents of night shelters, labour colonies, homeless people and other marginalised groups.

The aim is to ensure that eligible citizens do not remain outside the electoral roll simply because they were missed during the revision exercise or have only recently become eligible to register.

Goa cases highlight the importance of verification

The need for such follow-up has also been highlighted by cases reported during the revision process in Goa. According to a report by The Indian Express, 649 electors who had been flagged for “logical discrepancies” came forward with documents and objections. Following examination by Electoral Registration Officers and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, 97 cases were found eligible for inclusion.

The Goa example shows why the status of individual electors needs to be checked before deciding whether a name should remain outside the electoral roll. At the same time, not every person whose name is absent from a draft roll is necessarily eligible for restoration.

What voters need to do

For an eligible person whose name is missing from the electoral roll, the key route is Form 6.

Applicants can submit the form to the Electoral Registration Officer concerned under the continuous updation process. The Election Commission's voter services platform also provides facilities for new voter registration and tracking applications.

The special drive is therefore not a separate voting process. It is an effort by election authorities to identify eligible people who remain outside the rolls and help them complete the required enrolment procedure.

With SIR completed in 20 states and Union Territories, the Election Commission has now asked local election machinery to focus on identifying omissions and bringing eligible voters into the rolls through the prescribed process.