Missed in SIR draft rolls? EC offers voters in 7 states another chance to enroll

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday directed the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of seven states to give voters left out of the draft electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) another opportunity to get their names included in the final lists.

The directions apply to Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland. They cover voters who were issued enumeration forms but whose names were excluded from the draft rolls after being marked as Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate (ASDD), with their completed forms not received by the authorities.

In a statement, the Commission said booth-wise lists of all such voters would be displayed afresh on the notice boards of the respective polling stations to ensure they are informed and can complete the enrolment process.

The ECI also clarified the procedure for voters who have shifted their residence within the state but were marked as ASDD and consequently left out of the draft electoral roll.

"In cases where such an elector who was marked as ASDD and consequently whose name does not appear in the draft electoral roll, has shifted the place of residence within the state, such elector is not required to submit Form-8, instead he/she shall submit enumeration form along with the statement enclosed herewith as Annexure-C (indicating the new address and the Assembly Constituency)," the Commission said.

It further clarified that voters who have already submitted Form-6 for fresh enrolment during the SIR need not submit the enumeration form and accompanying statement again. Their applications will be processed in accordance with the Commission's clarification issued on November 3.

BLOs to contact excluded voters

The Commission said partially filled enumeration forms for all such ASDD voters would be generated afresh on the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) dashboard on ECINET.

District Election Officers (DEOs) and EROs have been directed to make every possible effort to contact the voters through Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and ensure that the forms reach them either physically or through electronic means, including WhatsApp, email and SMS, wherever contact details are available.

BLOs will also coordinate with Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties to trace the voters. The outreach will include house-to-house visits, enquiries with neighbours, family members and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), as well as calls to available contact numbers.

The ECI said CEOs would put in place a comprehensive monitoring mechanism to oversee the implementation of these directions and ensure that no voter is denied an opportunity to have their name included in the final electoral roll.

(With ANI inputs)