EC gives voters excluded from draft electoral rolls in 7 states another chance to apply

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) on Friday announced that voters excluded from the draft electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in seven states will be given another opportunity to have their names included in the final electoral rolls.The directive applies to electors who were issued enumeration forms but were left out of the draft rolls after being categorised as Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate (ASDD). The seven states covered are Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland.The EC has also directed officials to put in place a monitoring mechanism to ensure that no eligible voter is denied the opportunity to be included in the final electoral rolls, while simultaneously preventing duplicate enrolments."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 EC said in a statement.The poll body also clarified that electors who have already submitted Form-6 for fresh enrolment during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise need not submit the enumeration form and accompanying statement again. Their applications will be processed in accordance with the Commission's clarification dated November 3."Partially filled enumeration forms in respect of all such ASDD electors would be generated afresh in ERO dashboard in ECINET. The DEOs/EROs shall make all possible efforts to contact such electors through the concerned Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and ensure delivery of the enumeration forms either physically or through electronic means such as WhatsApp, e-mail or SMS, wherever contact details are available," the Commission stated.The EC further directed BLOs to coordinate with Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of various political parties to reach out to the affected electors. This would include house-to-house visits, enquiries with neighbours, family members and Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), as well as contacting voters through available phone numbers wherever feasible.(With agency inputs)Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.