Election Commission Launches Special Drive to Re-Enrol Left-Out Voters After SIR

The Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, was conducted by the Election Commission of India to update voter rolls across several states. During this process, millions of names were deleted from the draft electoral rolls, intended to clean up outdated or inaccurate entries. However, this led to concerns that eligible voters were being wrongly removed, especially since some of those deleted were not new applicants but existing voters.

To address these concerns, the Election Commission introduced an additional declaration requirement with Form 6 for re-enrolment. This change was controversial, as it asked for more details about applicants' parents or grandparents, and was flagged by some election commissioners as unnecessary and potentially exclusionary.

On September 29, the Election Commission reversed its earlier rule and allowed Form 6 to be submitted without the additional declaration in non-SIR states, restoring the standard process for new voter registrations. This move followed internal disagreements within the Commission and public criticism over the stricter requirements, particularly from political parties and civil society groups.

The Commission soon began a special drive to enrol left-out and first-time voters in states where the SIR process had concluded. On October 1, it was announced that this drive would cover 20 states and focus on re-enrolling those who were deleted during SIR as well as registering new young voters.

The drive includes reviewing deleted voter lists, comparing pre-SIR and post-SIR rolls, and directing Booth Level Officers to identify and assist eligible citizens. States like Kerala announced that their special drive would start on October 15, comparing old and new lists to ensure no one eligible is missed.

Meanwhile, the process and the large-scale deletions sparked legal challenges. The Supreme Court heard petitions questioning the Chief Election Commissioner's decisions, especially regarding the use of modified forms and the lack of unanimity in some decisions. The Court declined to suspend the CEC but sought responses from the Election Commission and the central government.

The re-enrolment drive is now active in several states, with clear instructions for voters whose names were deleted to use Form 6 to get back on the rolls. The process is being managed with deadlines and guidance from state electoral officers, aiming to include all eligible voters ahead of upcoming elections.

Legal scrutiny remains, with the Supreme Court seeking further clarification on the Commission's procedures and the validity of the forms used. Some states, such as West Bengal, are handling cases differently due to pending appeals before tribunals.

The effectiveness of the special drive will depend on how many genuinely eligible voters are re-enrolled before election deadlines. The Supreme Court's ongoing review of the Election Commission's decisions could also result in additional procedural changes or clarifications in the coming weeks.