SIR: Deleted voters in 7 states/UTs can re-enrol without filling Form 6, EC says

The Election Commission has reopened the enumeration opportunity for voters left out of the draft electoral roll because they were absent, shifted, dead-marked or listed as duplicates. These voters can submit the SIR enumeration form again instead of starting the fresh-enrolment process. The change matters because some affected voters were reluctant to use Form 6, which contains a declaration that they are enrolling for the first time.

For example, an ASDD voter whose enumeration form was not received may submit the form physically or online. An annexure must explain why the form was missed and confirm that Form 6 was not filed during SIR. A voter who shifted within the same state or UT must also provide old and new addresses and residence proof.

The reopened window lasts through the claims and objections period. Officials will contact affected voters, verify eligibility and ordinary residence, and restore the same EPIC number if the application is approved.

A Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, is a comprehensive exercise to review and update an electoral roll. In the process described here, voters receive enumeration forms, officials compile draft rolls, and cases involving absence, shifting, death or duplication are examined. It matters because the review can remove names from the draft roll when forms are not received or voter details need checking.

Ordinary enrolment generally deals with an individual application to add an eligible person to the roll. The article identifies Form 6 as the form meant for fresh enrolment and Form 8 for a voter excluded after shifting within the same state or UT. Under this arrangement, certain excluded voters can instead submit their SIR enumeration form again with an explanation.

The distinction is important for affected voters. They do not have to describe themselves as enrolling for the first time. Their applications remain subject to verification of eligibility, ordinary residence and field information before restoration.

ASDD is the article’s shorthand for voters marked absent, shifted, dead or duplicate. These electors were excluded from the draft electoral roll when their enumeration forms were not received. The classification therefore covers several different situations, not one single type of voter. Some may still be eligible and living at the relevant address.

The article does not give one confirmed reason for every missing form. It indicates that forms may not have been submitted earlier and directs voters to explain the reason in an annexure. Officials are also told to trace people through house visits, neighbours, family members, resident welfare associations and available phone numbers. This suggests that contact or delivery problems may have contributed.

The new arrangement gives these voters another route to respond. They can submit the enumeration form physically or online, state why it was late, and declare that they did not file Form 6 during SIR. Officials will then verify their eligibility and residence.

The Election Commission’s new arrangement covers seven states and Union territories undergoing Special Intensive Revision. They are Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland. The article groups them together because the same reopening procedure applies to excluded voters in these places.

For instance, an ASDD voter in Delhi or Telangana whose enumeration form was not received can submit the form again with the required annexure. A voter who shifted within Maharashtra or another listed state or UT must identify the previous and current addresses and attach residence proof. The form goes to the relevant electoral registration officer.

The scale matters because the measure is not limited to one constituency or one state. District election officers and EROs in all seven listed jurisdictions must regenerate partially completed forms, display booth-wise lists and try to contact affected electors. The process continues through the claims and objections period.

An excluded voter must submit the enumeration form, or EF, again with an annexure. The annexure must state why the form was not submitted earlier and confirm that the voter did not submit Form 6 for fresh enrolment during SIR. This gives the Commission a specific explanation while avoiding a misleading fresh-enrolment declaration.

A voter can submit the EF physically or online to the electoral registration officer or booth-level officer. The form may also be downloaded and completed on ECINet using the voter’s old EPIC number. For someone who shifted within the same state or UT, the annexure must include the former and current addresses, and residence proof must be attached.

The application goes to the ERO of the assembly constituency to which the voter shifted, where applicable. The ERO will process it after checking eligibility, ordinary residence and field verification. If approved, the previous EPIC number is assigned again.

The Commission has assigned district election officers, EROs and BLOs an active tracing role. They must try to deliver enumeration forms physically or electronically through WhatsApp, SMS or email when contact details are available. Booth-wise lists of affected ASDD voters will also be displayed on notice boards and uploaded to the chief electoral officer’s website.

BLOs are directed to conduct house-to-house visits and make enquiries with neighbours, family members and resident welfare associations. They can also use available telephone numbers. Partially filled forms will be generated again in the ERO dashboard on ECINet, helping officials identify voters who were left out and contact them.

Receiving a form does not automatically restore a name. The concerned ERO must examine the applicant’s eligibility and ordinary residence, followed by field verification. Once the application is approved, the voter’s earlier EPIC number will be reassigned. Voters who already filed Form 6 during SIR need not submit the enumeration form again.

An electoral roll is the official list of electors for a constituency or polling area. It identifies the people whose names are available for voting there. The article’s draft-roll process shows why this list must be checked: voters can be marked absent, shifted, dead or duplicate, while some eligible people may be excluded if their forms are not received.

For example, a voter who shifted within the same state or Union territory may have been left out of the draft roll. The Commission now allows that person to submit an enumeration form, explain the delay, provide both addresses and attach residence proof. Officials then verify the claim before restoring the name.

An accurate roll supports the practical right to vote by including eligible residents and removing incorrect entries. The article’s procedure seeks to correct exclusions without automatic restoration. It combines fresh submissions, field checks and official approval, while preserving the earlier EPIC number for approved voters.