Election Commission changes Form 6 for new voters, adds parents’ SIR declaration

The Election Commission’s online voter registration platform has introduced an additional declaration requiring applicants to disclose whether they or their parents were included in the electoral rolls prepared during the last Special Intensive Revision (SIR), even though the statutory version of Form 6 prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, does not reflect any such change. The development has sparked questions over whether the online modification required a formal amendment to the prescribed rules.

The new declaration has been incorporated into the online Form 6 available through the ECINET-based Citizen Service Portal, which is used by first-time voters, newly eligible citizens and those seeking fresh enrolment after deletion from electoral rolls. However, the downloadable PDF version of Form 6 available on the same portal continues to follow the existing statutory format without the additional declaration.

Applicants filling the online form are now required to indicate one of three options: whether their own name existed in the electoral roll prepared during the last SIR, whether the name of a parent or grandparent existed in that roll, or whether neither they nor their parents featured in the previous SIR records. Those selecting the first two options are prompted to provide details such as the Assembly constituency, polling booth number and serial number from the earlier electoral roll. Although the declaration is not explicitly labelled as mandatory, users cannot proceed with the application unless they complete the section.

The declaration appears to be active for states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision has either concluded recently or is underway. Assam, where the Commission has decided not to conduct an SIR, does not display the additional declaration, while Bihar—the first state where the latest round of SIR began—also follows a different workflow linked to its revision process.

The change comes against the backdrop of the Election Commission's nationwide Special Intensive Revision exercise, under which electoral rolls are being re-verified across multiple states. The Commission has maintained that the exercise is intended to ensure that only eligible Indian citizens remain on the electoral rolls in accordance with Article 326 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

However, legal experts have pointed to the distinction between administrative changes to an online portal and amendments to statutory forms. Form 6 derives its legal authority from the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which were framed under Section 28 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Under that provision, rules governing electoral registration are notified by the Central Government after consultation with the Election Commission. Previous changes to Form 6, including the incorporation of Aadhaar-related provisions following amendments passed by Parliament, were introduced only after formal notifications issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Election law experts note that unless the prescribed rules are amended through the statutory process, the legal status of any additional declaration introduced only on the online platform may invite scrutiny. They point out that any alteration to a prescribed statutory form has traditionally been carried out through amendments to the Registration of Electors Rules notified in the Official Gazette.

The Election Commission has not publicly issued a detailed clarification on the legal basis for incorporating the additional declaration into the online application process. The Citizen Service Portal currently offers both the revised online workflow and the downloadable Form 6 in its existing statutory format, creating a divergence between the digital submission process and the prescribed physical form.

Form 6 remains the primary application for enrolment of new voters who have attained the age of 18 years, acquired Indian citizenship or seek re-registration after deletion of their names from the electoral roll. Under the existing statutory format, applicants are required to furnish personal details, proof of age and residence, and information about family members residing with them, but the printed form does not contain the newly introduced SIR declaration.