EC gives left-out voters in 7 states another chance to join final rolls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced that voters whose names were left out of the draft electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) would get another opportunity to have their names included in the final rolls.

The decision applies to voters in Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland who were marked as ASDD (absent, shifted, dead and duplicate) and whose enumeration forms were not received during the revision exercise.

In a letter, the Election Commission directed the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of these states and the Union Territory of Delhi to facilitate the submission of fresh enumeration forms by such voters.

The Election Commission has directed that booth-wise lists of all such voters be displayed afresh on the notice boards of the polling stations from where their names were deleted.

The lists will also be made available at panchayat bhawans, urban local body offices and the offices of block development officers, panchayat officers and urban local body officers. They will also be uploaded on the respective chief electoral officers' websites.

The lists will mention the probable reasons why the names of these voters were not included in the draft electoral rolls.

The ECI has asked district election officers (DEOs) and electoral registration officers (EROs) to make fresh, partially filled enumeration forms available on the ERO dashboard through ECINET.

Officials will have to contact affected voters through booth-level officers (BLOs) and ensure that the forms reach them either physically or through WhatsApp, email or SMS.

Voters will also be able to download and fill in their enumeration forms through the Election Commission's website or the ECINET app by entering the same Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number they had before their names were deleted.

BLOs have also been asked to coordinate with booth-level agents (BLAs) of political parties to trace the voters. They will use house-to-house visits, enquiries with neighbours and family members, Resident Welfare Associations and available contact numbers to establish contact with them.

Voters who have not shifted can submit their duly filled and signed enumeration forms along with a statement explaining why they could not submit the form earlier. The documents can be submitted physically to the concerned ERO, Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) or BLO, either by the voter or a family member.

An online submission facility will also be available on ECINET, with an e-sign option.

For voters who have shifted residence within the same state, the ECI has said they will not need to submit Form 8. Instead, they will have to submit an enumeration form along with a statement mentioning their new address and Assembly Constituency, along with address proof.

These documents can be submitted to the ERO or AERO of the Assembly constituency where they have moved. Such voters can also approach the BLO of their new polling booth for assistance.

It has also provided for homeless voters who do not have any address-related documents. In their case, a field verification report by the BLO will be sufficient as proof of residence.

All enumeration forms received from these voters, along with the prescribed statements, will be examined by the concerned EROs under Rule 21(1) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Forms accepted after the verification process will be kept separately for inclusion in the final electoral rolls under the ongoing SIR exercise.