ECI Gave No SOPs For Auto-Generated Form 7s, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• State election authorities have used auto-generated Form 7s for deleting names from electoral rolls during phases 2 and 3 of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
• This process was carried out without any written protocol or Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) digitally signed these auto-generated forms, acting as 'objectors'.
• States involved include Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal, where deletions were made for "logical discrepancies" or "unmapped" voters.
• Over 87,000 names in Uttar Pradesh and more than 95,000 in Uttarakhand were deleted using this method.

Detailed Insights:

• Form 7 is the official application for objecting to a proposed entry or requesting the deletion of an existing name from electoral rolls.
• Electoral rules do not permit EROs or AEROs to file Form 7s themselves, as their role is to adjudicate such applications.
• Typically, Form 7 can be filed by a registered elector, a family member (in case of death), or a Booth Level Officer (BLO).
• The ECI's software, ERONet, automatically generated these Form 7s when officials deleted voters during SIR hearings.
• The Manual on Electoral Rolls, 2024, does not contain provisions for EROs to file Form 7s.
• The ECI has recently imposed restrictions on the number of Form 7s an individual can file to prevent bulk and arbitrary deletions.
• Voter deletion is governed by the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which mandate due inquiry and opportunity for the voter to be heard.
• The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a comprehensive exercise undertaken by the ECI to purify and update electoral rolls by verifying voter data.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Form 7: The prescribed form used to object to the inclusion of a name or request the deletion of a name from the electoral roll.
• Electoral Registration Officer (ERO): The statutory authority responsible for the preparation, revision, and maintenance of electoral rolls for an assembly constituency.
• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A detailed, house-to-house verification and revision exercise conducted by the ECI to ensure the accuracy and purity of electoral rolls.
• ERONet: The ECI's centralized digital platform designed to manage electoral roll data, including voter registration, migration, and deletion requests.