1 hr ago
Election Commission Orders Drive to Restore Left-Out Voters
The Election Commission wants to find people whose names disappeared from voter lists.
It also wants to add young people who are registering to vote for the first time.
Officials will compare new voter lists with older ones.
They will visit homes to check whether missing people are eligible.
Eligible people can fill out Form 6 applications during these visits.
The work is expected to finish in about one month.
Opposition parties say the earlier review may have removed eligible voters.
The Commission says voter registration is ongoing and that its decisions were made unanimously.
The Election Commission ordered a special voter-registration drive in areas where the SIR roll revision is complete.
The drive will re-enrol eligible voters omitted or deleted during the revision and register first-time and young voters.
Booth Level Officers must compare current rolls with pre-SIR lists and conduct house-to-house checks of missing electors.
Each officer must verify 20 to 25 electors weekly, with the drive targeted for completion within one month.
Opposition parties allege disenfranchisement, while the Commission says its decisions were unanimous and more than 60 lakh dead voters were removed.
- Who
- The Election Commission, state election officials, Booth Level Officers, and eligible or newly eligible voters are involved.
- What
- A special drive will identify and re-enrol left-out voters and register new and young voters after the Special Investigative Review.
- Where
- States and Union territories where the electoral-roll revision has been completed.
- When
- The instructions were issued on Thursday; the article was published on October 2, 2026, and the verification drive is targeted for completion within one month.
- Why
- To restore eligible voters omitted from the final rolls and ensure that no eligible citizen is disenfranchised because they were missed during the SIR enumeration.
Election Commission's Position
Opposition Parties' Position
Effect of the SIR exercise
Election Commission's Position
The Commission says voter registration remains ongoing and that no eligible citizen should lose voting rights because they were missed during enumeration.
Opposition Parties' Position
Opposition parties accuse the Commission of disenfranchising eligible citizens through the SIR exercise.
Purpose of the special drive
Election Commission's Position
The drive is intended to correct omissions, register new voters, and improve transparency through verification and sharing of lists with party agents.
Opposition Parties' Position
The decision to launch the drive is viewed in the context of allegations that eligible voters were omitted or deleted during the revision.
Decision-making within the Commission
Election Commission's Position
The Commission says all SIR decisions were taken unanimously.
Opposition Parties' Position
Reports cited in the article allege that there were differences within the Commission over SIR decisions.
Key facts
- Review process
- Special Investigative Review (SIR)
- Verification target
- Each Booth Level Officer must cover 20 to 25 electors per week.
- Planned duration
- The verification drive is intended to conclude within one month.
- Application form
- Booth Level Officers will collect Form 6 applications from eligible new and left-out voters.
- Roll reduction
- The combined voter list in nine states and three Union territories was reduced by 10.2% after SIR.
- Voters removed
- More than 60 lakh dead voters were removed, according to data shared by the poll authority and state officials.
- Transparency measure
- Lists will be shared with Booth Level Agents of recognised political parties.
Sources
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