Govt likely to consider proposal on 2 cut-off dates for voter

The Union Cabinet is likely to consider a proposal tomorrow to have multiple cut-off dates for young citizens to enlist as voters to ensure that people who turn 18 are able to register in the electoral rolls twice a year instead of the current practice of one.
As of now, for an election to be held in a particular year, only an individual who has attained the age of 18 years as on January 1 of that year or before is eligible to be enrolled in the voters' list. Now, July 1 could be the second cut-off date.
While the Election Commission had been pushing for four cut-off dates for registration of voters, the government has agreed to have two.

Sources said the Cabinet is likely to take a call on the proposal in its meeting tomorrow evening.
EC has told the government that the January 1 cut-off date set for the purpose deprives several youths from participating in the electoral exercise held in a particular year.
According to Section 14 (b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the qualifying date means the first day of January of the year in which the electoral roll is prepared or revised. The section would be amended to have two cut off dates.

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi had recently said that "as a result (of having one cut-off date), if a person is becoming 18 years on January 2, he cannot be registered. Therefore, a person who is turning 18 beyond January 1 will have to wait for next year to get registered."

At a meeting held last month between Zaidi and top Law Ministry officials, the government had agreed for two cut-off dates.
The Commission proposed that instead of only one qualifying date for enrollment, there should be four different dates (January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1) for enrollment so that maximum number of people can be enrolled.
The Law Ministry suggested that instead of four dates, "we may introduce two dates. Accordingly, the Commission proposed that January 1 and July 1 may be specified as qualifying dates for enrollment by amending electoral laws", EC had said in a statement after the meeting.