EC directs BLOs to enrol voters left out of SIR rolls within a month, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• The Election Commission (EC) has directed Chief Electoral Officers (CEO) of all States and Union Territories to re-enroll eligible voters left out of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) rolls within one month.
• Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are mandated to compare pre-SIR and current voter lists, identify omitted electors, and conduct door-to-door visits to ascertain their status.
• Eligible individuals identified by BLOs are to be enrolled through Form 6.
• Approximately 13.3 crore names have been deleted from electoral rolls in states where the SIR process is completed or underway.
• Former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi has questioned the EC's move to re-enrol voters using Form 6, stating it is exclusively for new voters.

Detailed Insights:

• The directive aims to ensure that no eligible voter is disenfranchised due to the SIR process, which is primarily designed to clean up electoral rolls by removing duplicate or ineligible entries.
• BLOs are expected to cover at least 20-25 electors per week to complete the re-enrolment exercise within the stipulated one-month period.
• The lists prepared by BLOs, along with filled Form 6 applications and field verification reports, will be shared with Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of recognized political parties and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).
• Booth-level camps will be organized to facilitate the submission of applications for enrolment, with special camps for people in night shelters, labour colonies, and homeless individuals.
• An analysis indicates that about 72% of the deleted voters could potentially be re-included, as many were marked in the absent/shifted/others category rather than deceased or multiple entries.
• The controversy surrounding the use of Form 6 highlights concerns about the process of voter re-inclusion and potential legal implications if it is applied to previously registered voters.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Election Commission of India (ECI): An autonomous constitutional body responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India.
• Chief Electoral Officer (CEO): An officer appointed by the ECI to supervise election work in a state or Union Territory, including the preparation and revision of electoral rolls.
• Booth Level Officer (BLO): A local government/semi-government official appointed by the ECI to assist in updating electoral rolls at the grassroots level through local knowledge and door-to-door verification.
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A large-scale exercise undertaken by the ECI to verify and revise electoral rolls through house-to-house enumeration, aiming for accurate and error-free voter lists.
• Electoral Roll: The official list of eligible voters for a particular constituency, prepared and maintained by the ECI.
• Form 6: The official application form used for inclusion of a name in the Electoral Roll in India, typically for new voters or those shifting constituencies.