The Election Commission has made it easier for certain voters in seven states to get their names back on the draft electoral rolls. The marked ones Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate (ASDD) can now just file the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Enumeration Form with a short signed statement. They no longer have to fill Form 6, the form normally used by new voters.

The change has been notified through a letter dated November 6, and it is for Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland where the SIR process is still on.

It also helps those who missed filing Annexure-B earlier. Annexure-C can be used by any individual who has shifted house within the same state with his new address and proof. Form 8 is not needed in these cases.

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Supreme Court Had Questioned Form 6 Requirement

The move comes shortly after the Supreme Court raised questions about the earlier process. On October 28, a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant asked why deleted voters were being asked to use Form 6, which is meant for new applicants. The court suggested the Commission consider accepting late enumeration forms instead. Still, the new option is limited. The voters who have marked ASDD in the first two phases of the SIR will not be given the same route. An ECI official told Hindustan Times that no similar exercise is planned for those states because the Special Summary Revision has already been announced there.

Why Does The Relief Not Cover All States?

The difference comes down to timing. In the seven states where the SIR is still active, enumeration forms can still be accepted before the final rolls are locked. In the Phase 1 and Phase 2 states, that window has already closed because the electoral revision process has already moved ahead. The SSR (Special Summary Revision) order itself does not spell out any special process for people who were wrongly left out of earlier rolls or for keeping their old EPIC numbers.

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Under the Commission’s 15 October order, Form 6 is for new names, Form 6A is for overseas voters, Form 7 is for objections and deletions, and Form 8 is for address changes, corrections and card replacements. The difficulty is that Form 8 is meant for people whose names are still on the roll. Once a name has been deleted, that form no longer applies. That leaves Form 6 as the only listed option, which means previously registered voters have to apply as if they were new.

The SSR covers 17 states and Union Territories. Draft rolls are due on 12 November, claims and objections can be filed till 11 December, and the final rolls are expected on 4 January. Former Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat has said the uncertainty around these voters should clear once the Election Commission issues the detailed SSR notifications for the earlier phases.