The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a clarification aimed at addressing confusion among voters whose names are missing from the draft electoral rolls published during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. On Tuesday, the commission stated that citizens who were previously registered as electors are permitted to submit Form 6 to ensure their names are included in the final voters' list, even if they have been enrolled in the past.
The move follows concerns expressed by individuals regarding the declaration requirements of Form 6. Applicants filling out this form are typically required to state that they are seeking inclusion in the electoral rolls for the first time. Many voters whose names had been omitted from the latest draft rolls expressed hesitation, fearing that submitting the form would constitute a false declaration. Under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, making a false declaration can render an individual liable for prosecution.
To mitigate these concerns, the ECI issued a formal letter to all state chief electoral officers, clarifying that the apprehension regarding potential legal liability is unfounded. The commission cited an October 14 judgment from the Delhi High Court, which supports the position that submitting the form in these specific circumstances does not constitute a false declaration under the law.
The issue gained prominence following developments in Delhi, where the Supreme Court had previously asked the ECI to ensure that approximately 4.3 million residents—whose names were removed from electoral rolls after they were not found at their last known addresses—would not be forced to reapply as entirely new voters. The court had suggested that these individuals be permitted to restore their names through Form 8, which is generally used for address-related changes or corrections, rather than the fresh registration process required by Form 6.
Despite these high-level discussions, administrative hurdles persist on the ground. A senior official in the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer’s office noted that the electoral machinery has not yet received official Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or specific instructions regarding the implementation of the Form 8 route for voters placed under the Absentee, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate (ASDD) categories. The official stated that guidance remains pending while the ECI navigates the procedural requirements of the voter list revision.
The situation has drawn attention from civil society, with activists such as Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri writing to both the ECI and the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer. In their correspondence, they have sought immediate compliance with the suggested measures to ensure that eligible voters are not disenfranchised during the ongoing revision process.
With this latest clarification, the ECI aims to provide legal certainty to voters who are anxious about their status. By explicitly permitting the use of Form 6 for previously enrolled electors, the commission hopes to streamline the process of updating the rolls and ensure that all legitimate voters can participate in the electoral process without the fear of legal repercussions. The commission continues to oversee the SIR process across the states to finalize the upcoming electoral registers.
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