SIR Form 6: Voters Missing From Draft Roll Can Re-Apply, Says EC

The Election Commission has told every state and Union Territory that a voter whose name is missing from the draft roll in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) can file Form 6 to get back on the final list, even if the person was enrolled earlier. In a letter to chief electoral officers on Tuesday, 3 November, the Commission said such a filing does not, by itself, amount to a false declaration, according to reports by The Tribune and Deccan Chronicle.

No Section 31 Action for Re-Filing

The letter says an electoral registration officer cannot start action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 merely because a previously listed elector has submitted Form 6. The protection applies if the person is not already enrolled in another Parliamentary or Assembly constituency and the declaration otherwise follows the law. Chief electoral officers have been asked to publicise the clarification through the media and in local languages.

Delhi High Court Called the Fear Misplaced

The clarification follows a Delhi High Court order of 14 October in a petition by voters who feared a false-declaration charge if they filed Form 6 after their names were left out. The court said that fear was misplaced and that the petitioners could fill the form, which would be processed under the law. On 28 October the Supreme Court had asked why already-enrolled Delhi voters were being made to file a form meant for new enrolment. IPB News reported that the Commission then extended the Delhi claims deadline to 25 November and fixed the final roll for 22 December.

Also read UP SIR Form 7 Complaints: Supreme Court Tells EC to Act on Bulk Deletions

Deadlines Differ State by State

The letter does not set a new date. Each state follows its own SIR schedule, and several, including Maharashtra, were extended earlier; the revised dates for six states are on record. Voters who find their names missing from a draft roll should check their state’s claims window with the local registration officer. The Commission’s earlier affidavit in the Supreme Court also dealt with Form 6.

Source: Based on reporting by The Tribune and Deccan Chronicle.

Image: The Tribune.