India
oi-Swastika Sruti
Another chance for voters whose names were left out of the draft electoral rolls has been given by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the ongoing process of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in seven states and Union Territory of Delhi.
The Election Commission of India is providing another enrollment opportunity for voters missing from draft lists in seven states and Delhi during the Special Intensive Revision, clarifying that previously registered voters can re-apply using Form 6 without facing legal action.
This applies to voters who are listed as Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate (ASDD) and whose Enumeration Form was issued but not returned by the voters to the election authorities and, therefore, whose names have been excluded from the draft electoral rolls.
In a notice dated November 6, the Election Commission has requested the concerned authorities to facilitate such voters in the submission of new Enumeration Forms, thereby making such eligible voters qualify for inclusion in the final electoral rolls.
The seven states and Union Territory where the above mentioned decision is applicable include Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, and Nagaland.
The Election Commission has also instructed the election authorities to put in place a monitoring mechanism to prevent any eligible voter from being excluded from voting.
How Can Deleted Voters Get Their Names Back In The Final Voter List?
Under the latest directions, voters marked under the ASDD category will get another opportunity to submit their Enumeration Forms.
The Election Commission has asked officials to prepare fresh, partially filled forms for the affected electors through the Electoral Registration Officer’s (ERO) dashboard on the ECINET platform.
Voters can also access and fill in their forms through the Election Commission’s website or ECINET app by entering the same Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number they held before their names were deleted.
The Commission has directed Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to contact affected voters and make sure the forms reach them. Officials can use physical visits as well as WhatsApp, email and SMS wherever contact details are available.
Booth-wise lists of voters excluded under the ASDD category will also be displayed again on the notice boards of the respective polling stations. These lists will mention the probable reasons for their exclusion and will also be made available through local government offices and state Chief Electoral Officer websites.
What If The Voter Has Shifted Residence?
The Election Commission has also specified how voters should apply if their residential address has changed.
Those who have not shifted their residence must submit the completed and signed Enumeration Form along with a statement explaining why they could not submit it earlier.
Voters who have moved to another location within the same state do not need to submit Form 8 for the address change under this special arrangement. Instead, they must submit the Enumeration Form along with a statement mentioning their new address and Assembly constituency, supported by address proof.
For homeless voters who do not have address documents, the BLO’s field verification report can be accepted as proof of residence.
The Commission has also clarified that voters who have already submitted Form 6 for fresh enrolment during the SIR exercise do not need to submit another Enumeration Form. Their applications will be processed under the prescribed procedure.
Form 6 Clarification: Previously Registered Voters Can Apply Again
In a separate clarification issued on November 3, the Election Commission addressed concerns among voters whose names were missing from the draft electoral rolls but who had been registered in earlier voter lists.
Some voters were hesitant to submit Form 6 because it contains a declaration stating that the applicant is seeking inclusion in the electoral roll for the first time. They feared that submitting the form despite having been registered earlier could amount to making a false declaration and invite legal action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
The Commission clarified that previously registered voters whose names do not appear in the draft electoral roll can submit Form 6 to seek inclusion in the final list.
It also directed Electoral Registration Officers not to initiate action under Section 31 merely because an applicant had been enrolled in an earlier voter list and had submitted Form 6 again.
However, the clarification comes with an important condition: the applicant must not already be registered in another Parliamentary or Assembly constituency, and the declaration must otherwise comply with the law.
The Commission’s clarification aims to remove confusion among eligible voters and allow them to seek inclusion without fearing prosecution solely because they were registered in the past.
The two decisions address different situations: the November 6 order provides fresh Enumeration Forms to eligible voters excluded under the ASDD category in seven states and Delhi, while the November 3 clarification explains when previously enrolled voters can use Form 6 to seek inclusion.
