Election Commission gives voters missing from SIR draft rolls another chance in Delhi, six states

NEW DELHI, November 6 (Aalimi Nation) – The Election Commission on Friday gave voters who were left out of draft electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) another chance to have their names included in the final rolls, directing officials in Delhi and six states to reach out to them.

The directions were issued in a letter to the Chief Electoral Officers of Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland. The Commission said the aim is to ensure that "no eligible elector is deprived of the opportunity to be included in the final electoral roll".

Who is covered

The measure applies to electors who were issued enumeration forms but whose names do not appear in the draft rolls because they were marked Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate. The Commission has asked officials to set up a monitoring mechanism so that eligible electors are not excluded, while also preventing duplicate enrolments.

Lists to be shown again

Booth-wise lists of such electors are to be displayed again at the polling stations where the names were deleted, and at panchayat bhawans and the offices of urban local bodies and block development officers. The lists are also to be uploaded to the websites of the Chief Electoral Officers, along with the probable reason each name was left out of the draft roll.

District Election Officers and Electoral Registration Officers have been told to make partially filled enumeration forms available through the ECINET platform. Booth Level Officers are to contact the electors and deliver forms in person or by WhatsApp, email or SMS, and to work with booth-level agents of political parties.

How electors can apply

Electors can also download forms from the Commission's website or the ECINET app, using the same EPIC number they held before their names were removed.

Those who have not moved are to submit a signed enumeration form with a statement explaining why they missed the earlier deadline. This can be done in person, by the elector or a family member, at the office of the Electoral Registration Officer, the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer or the Booth Level Officer, or online through ECINET with an electronic signature.

Electors who have shifted within the same state do not need to file Form 8. They are to submit an enumeration form, a statement giving the new address and Assembly constituency, and proof of address to the officer of the new constituency, or to the Booth Level Officer of their new polling booth. Homeless electors can rely on a field verification report prepared by the Booth Level Officer as proof of residence.

Verification and final rolls

Electoral Registration Officers will examine all forms and statements under Rule 21(1) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Accepted forms will be held separately for inclusion in the final rolls under the ongoing revision. The Commission has also asked state officials to publicise the measure widely and to send an action-taken report.

The Commission's letter calls for immediate compliance and does not specify a last date for submitting the forms or the date of publication of the final rolls in these states. Officials have not said how many electors may be covered in each state.