ECI orders special drive to enrol left-out voters after SIR

The Election Commission has directed States to conduct a special enrolment drive after the SIR of electoral rolls to identify left-out, first-time and young electors. In Telangana, BLOs will conduct house-to-house visits and facilitate eligible voters’ enrolment through Form 6.

Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed all States, including Telangana, to undertake a special drive for enrolment of left-out and first-time/young electors after completion of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The process is aimed at identifying and facilitating eligible individuals for enrolment.

As for Telangana, 73,39,235 electors have already been excluded from the draft electoral rolls as they had been listed as absent, shifted, dead and duplicate (ASDD) voters during enumeration phase. The final electoral rolls to be published on November 9 will incorporate deletions during enumeration phase, and additions and deletions after the draft publication.

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The CEOs have been instructed to direct the BLOs to compare the new electoral roll with the pre-SIR electoral roll, and identify such electors whose names were there previously but not included in the new list.

They have been asked to prepare a list of such electors and make house-to-house visits to ascertain a voter’s present status and facilitate enrolment through Form 6, if an individual is eligible. Such an exercise has to be completed within a period of about one month, covering 20-25 electors in a week.

Further, the BLOs have also been asked to ensure filling up of Form 6 for enrolment of any left-out, first-time, or young electors during their house-to-house visits. Such a list has to be shared with the booth-level agents of recognised political parties.

The CEOs have been instructed to ensure that EROs share booth-wise lists with representatives of political parties, allowing them to enable enrolment of any left-out electors. It also instructed holding booth-level camps to facilitate submission of enrolment applications.

“Special camps may also be organised for enrolment of people living in night shelters, labour colonies as well as for homeless and marginalised persons,” it added.