Voter name missing after SIR? EC orders 20 states to launch special drive

The Election Commission (EC) has directed electoral officials in 20 states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls has been completed to launch a special enrolment drive for eligible voters whose names were left out.

The exercise will also cover young and first-time voters seeking registration. The Commission conveyed the direction to Chief Electoral Officers on September 29 and reiterated it during a video conference with state election officials on Thursday.

Regular Form 6 to be used

Voters in states where SIR has concluded can seek inclusion through the normal process of continuous updation. The Election Commission has asked Chief Electoral Officers, District Election Officers and Electoral Registration Officers to facilitate the process.

The regular statutory Form 6 will be used for such applications. The additional declaration linked to the previous SIR, which had appeared on the online version of the form, applies only during the SIR phase and is not required once the revision has concluded.

The Commission said, “Any person whose name has got left out during SIR or thereafter, and any person including young/first-time voter, may apply to the concerned ERO, for inclusion of their names in the electoral rolls under the process of continuous updation. CEOs have been directed to facilitate the same. The CEOs, DEOs, EROs will immediately launch a special drive for enrolment of these electors.”

Officials told to identify missing names

State officials have also been asked to compare electoral rolls from before and after SIR and identify voters who may have been left out without sufficient grounds.

Particular attention is to be given to people whose names are not mapped elsewhere and who have not been identified as duplicates or deceased. Booth Level Officers may visit such voters at their homes and help them submit Form 6.

Political parties and their booth-level agents have also been asked to assist with the exercise.

Goa case highlights issue

The decision follows scrutiny over deletions during the SIR process. In Goa, 97 voters whose inclusion had been recommended by electoral registration officials were left out of the final roll. The Election Commission said BLOs were directed to visit them and collect their enrolment forms.

As of September 26, 81 of the 97 voters had filled Form 6, while the ECI later said 88 had either submitted applications or had their applications accepted. Three of the remaining nine were found to hold Portuguese passports and six were living outside India.

The special drive applies to states and UTs where SIR has been completed, while the revision process continues in other areas.