The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced a series of changes to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls following a meeting of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi at Nirvachan Sadan on Saturday.
The changes include home visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to collect documents from voters flagged as unmapped or having logical discrepancies, fewer in-person hearings, a review of the ECINet digital system, and extended deadlines for claims and objections in Delhi and Maharashtra.
The Commission said major SIR decisions were approved unanimously by all three commissioners, while also announcing changes to its internal procedures for meetings and administrative functioning.
Home Visits For Voter Verification
Under the revised process, voters who receive notices during the SIR exercise for being “unmapped” or having “logical discrepancies” will no longer generally need to appear personally before Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). Instead, Booth Level Officers will visit their homes, collect the required documents and upload them to ECINet, the Commission’s digital platform.
Hearings will be conducted only in exceptional cases and, preferably, online. An adult family member may also be authorised to attend a hearing on behalf of a voter. The Commission clarified that outside the SIR exercise, the regular Form 6, prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, will be used for voter registration. For SIR, the additional declaration attached to Form 6, the EC said, had already been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Digital Review And Extended Deadlines
The Commission announced that ECINet will undergo a review by a committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, with an independent expert from an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) or an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) as a member. It also said that additional flexibility required by election officials working in the field would be made operational.
Any new information technology modules and portals will first be examined by a committee of officers before being placed before the full Commission for approval. The deadlines for filing claims and objections have also been extended. In Delhi, the deadline has been moved to October 30, while the disposal of claims and objections will continue until November 30.
In Maharashtra, the respective deadlines have been extended to October 12 and November 10. The Commission also announced changes to its internal functioning, stating that meeting agendas will be circulated in advance, formal minutes will be issued and directions given by commissioners to officials must be complied with.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The revision of electoral rolls is an important exercise that directly affects citizens’ right to participate in the democratic process. Measures such as home visits, online hearings and extended deadlines could help reduce the burden on voters, particularly those who face difficulties travelling to election offices or arranging documents. At the same time, clear communication, transparent procedures and accessible grievance redressal are essential to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded because of administrative errors or confusion.
The Commission’s internal reforms must also support accountability and public confidence in the electoral process. How can the Election Commission ensure that voter-roll verification remains both accessible to citizens and transparent in its implementation?
Also Read: India Shines At Asian Games With Tajinderpal’s Silver And Manpreet’s Bronze In Shot Put
