ECI directs states, UTs to launch special drive to enrol voters left out of electoral rolls

The Election Commission has directed states and UTs completing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls to conduct a special drive for left-out, first-time and young voters. BLOs will verify missing names, conduct house visits and facilitate enrolment through Form 6 applications

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed states and union territories where the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been completed to conduct a special drive to identify and enrol voters who may have been left out.

In a communication to the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all states and UTs, the Commission said the special drive would focus on left-out electors as well as first-time and young voters. The direction comes in continuation of the Commission’s letter dated September 29 and a meeting held with all CEOs on October 1.

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The ECI said that during the enumeration phase of the SIR exercise, each Booth Level Officer (BLO) prepared a list of voters classified as Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate (ASDD), along with the probable reasons for their non-inclusion.

The list was displayed on the notice boards of respective Panchayat Bhawans and Urban Local Body offices. It was also shared with Booth Level Agents (BLAs), political parties and uploaded to the websites of the respective Chief Electoral Officers.

Following this, the draft electoral roll was published and shared with political parties and uploaded to the CEO websites. The final electoral roll was subsequently published after the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) decided on claims and objections.

The Commission said the final electoral roll contains electors added or deleted after publication of the draft roll. Therefore, compared to the pre-SIR electoral roll, the final roll reflects deletions made during the enumeration phase as well as additions and deletions following publication of the draft roll.

The ECI emphasised that voter enrolment is a continuous process and that individuals who have not yet been enrolled, or whose names have been deleted from the electoral roll, can apply for enrolment at any time. “The objective of the special drive is to identify and facilitate such electors,” the Commission said.

As part of the exercise, BLOs have been directed to compare the current electoral roll with the pre-SIR roll and prepare a list of electors whose names appeared in the earlier roll but are missing from the current one.

The BLOs will then conduct house-to-house visits to ascertain the current status of the identified electors and facilitate their enrolment through Form 6 wherever they are found eligible.

The Commission has asked BLOs to cover at least 20-25 electors every week so that the exercise can be completed in approximately one month. They will also record the present status of each identified elector and indicate those for whom Form 6 has been filled out.

During their house-to-house visits, BLOs will also facilitate the enrolment of any left-out, first-time or young electors who are eligible for registration. The lists prepared by BLOs will be shared with BLAs of recognised political parties.

The BLOs will also submit the lists, filled-in Form 6 applications and field verification reports to the concerned EROs. The EROs will examine these cases and take appropriate action in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. At the conclusion of the exercise, booth-wise lists will be shared by the EROs with representatives of political parties, providing them with another opportunity to assist in identifying and facilitating the enrolment of eligible electors who may have been left out.

The Commission has also directed authorities to organise Booth Level Camps to facilitate the submission of enrolment applications. Special camps may be organised for people residing in night shelters and labour colonies, as well as homeless and marginalised persons.

The CEOs, District Election Officers (DEOs) and EROs have been asked to undertake awareness and mobilisation activities through educational institutions, local outreach programmes, SVEEP activities, regular press briefings and other suitable platforms.

The objective is to ensure that every eligible citizen is made aware of the opportunity to enrol in the electoral roll.

The ECI has further directed that the progress of the special drive be closely monitored and reviewed regularly at the levels of the CEO, DEO and ERO. The CEOs have been instructed to issue necessary directions to all concerned DEOs, EROs and BLOs for effective implementation of the exercise and to ensure that the special drive reaches all eligible citizens.