Pratidin
Polity and governance2 October 2026Indian Express, Page 2GS2

EC orders drive to enrol left-out voters in 20 SIR States, drops added Form 6 question

After the voter-roll clean-up, the Election Commission now has to find the eligible voters it may have lost.

Published 2 October 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the 20 States and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is complete to run a special drive to enrol "left out and young/first time eligible electors". The written instruction was issued on 29 September 2026 and repeated at a video conference with State Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) on 1 October, The Indian Express reported. Enrolment is to happen through continuous updation, the routine process by which names are added to the roll between revisions, using Form 6, the application for inclusion of a new elector.

The key change is that the plain statutory Form 6 will be used, without a question added in July that asked applicants whether they or their parents appeared on the voter list after the previous SIR. Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu had called that change "unauthorised/illegal", according to the report. CEOs must compare the rolls before and after the SIR to identify deleted electors, and seek the help of political parties and their booth-level agents to trace eligible people who were left out. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are to collect documents from voters' homes. In Maharashtra, where the SIR is still on, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have been told to give voters enough opportunity to submit documents, hold hearings and avoid hasty exclusions; special camps are planned on 3, 4, 10 and 11 October. In Goa, 97 eligible voters left out of the final roll can be added only through fresh Form 6 applications, because ECINet, the Commission's digital platform, could not reverse deletions even after ERO approval.

The SIR is carried out under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which allows the Commission to order a special revision of the roll at any time. It began in Bihar in June 2025 and was extended in phases to other States. The scale of deletions has drawn criticism from Opposition parties and civil society, who argue that the burden of proving eligibility fell on voters. The Commission says the exercise removes dead, shifted and duplicate entries. The new drive aims to bring eligible voters who were left out back onto the roll. Article 326 guarantees the vote to every adult citizen who is not disqualified by law.

Practise this in the app: flashcards, quiz and a timed answer
Prelims

Prelims facts

  • The ECI has ordered a special drive in 20 States and UTs where the SIR is over to enrol left-out, young and first-time eligible electors.
  • Plain statutory Form 6 will be used, without the July addition on whether the applicant or parents were on the roll after the previous SIR.
  • CEOs must compare pre-SIR and post-SIR rolls to identify deleted electors and may seek help from parties' booth-level agents.
  • Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 lets the Commission order a special revision of electoral rolls.
  • Article 326 provides for elections on the basis of adult suffrage; Form 6 is the application for inclusion of a new elector.

Quick recall

What is Form 6?
The application for inclusion of a new elector in the electoral roll.
Which provision lets the ECI order a special revision of rolls?
Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Which Article gives the ECI superintendence over electoral rolls?
Article 324.
Which Article provides for elections on the basis of adult suffrage?
Article 326.
In how many States and UTs is the new left-out voter drive ordered?
20, where the SIR has been completed.
Which Election Commissioner called the July Form 6 change "unauthorised/illegal"?
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, as reported by The Indian Express.
Which officer finally decides inclusion or deletion of a name?
The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of the constituency.
Which Act reduced the voting age from 21 to 18?
The Constitution (Sixty-first Amendment) Act, 1988.

Prelims practice question

With reference to electoral rolls in India, consider the following statements:
1. Form 6 is used by a person to apply for inclusion of the name in the electoral roll.
2. The Election Commission can direct a special revision of the electoral roll for a constituency at any time under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
3. Electoral rolls can be revised only once in five years, just before a general election.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only. 1 is correct: Form 6 is the application for inclusion of a new elector. 2 is correct: Section 21(3) of the RP Act, 1950 allows a special revision at any time for reasons to be recorded. 3 is wrong: rolls are revised regularly and also updated continuously, and special revisions can be ordered at any time.

Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions

Recurring theme: Election Commission, electoral rolls and the right to vote

  1. 2026 · GS2 · 10 marksAnswers it directlyUse it in the body

    Is the right to vote a fundamental right? Discuss the position of the Election Commission of India while undertaking the revision of electoral rolls. Can it also examine the question of citizenship of the voters?

    How to use this

    Use it to explain the source and limits of the Commission's power in roll revision, and the tension between purging ineligible entries and protecting the adult citizen's vote.

    • The SIR rests on Article 324 and Section 21(3) of the RP Act, 1950, which lets the Commission order a special revision of rolls at any time; it began in Bihar in June 2025.
    • Article 326 guarantees the vote to every adult citizen not disqualified by law; critics say the SIR put the burden of proof on voters, while the ECI says it removes dead, shifted and duplicate entries.
    • On 29 September 2026 the ECI ordered plain statutory Form 6, dropping a July question on whether applicants or parents were on the roll after the previous SIR, which EC Sukhbir Singh Sandhu called "unauthorised/illegal".
  2. 2017 · GS2 · 15 marksCovers one partUse it in the body

    To enhance the quality of democracy in India the Election Commission of India has proposed electoral reforms in 2016. What are the suggested reforms and how far are they significant to make democracy successful?

    How to use this

    Use it to add roll accuracy and inclusion as a dimension of electoral reform, showing concrete corrective measures the Commission is now taking.

    • In the 20 States and UTs where the SIR is complete, CEOs must compare pre-SIR and post-SIR rolls to identify deleted electors and may seek help from parties' booth-level agents.
    • Booth Level Officers are to collect documents from voters' homes; in Maharashtra EROs must hold hearings and avoid hasty exclusions, with special camps on 3, 4, 10 and 11 October.
    • In Goa, 97 eligible voters left off the final roll can return only via fresh Form 6, because ECINet could not reverse deletions even after ERO approval, a gap any digital reform must fix.
Prelims
  1. 2017 · Prelims

    Right to vote and to be elected in India is a (a) Fundamental Right (b) Natural Right (c) Constitutional Right (d) Legal Right

    The right to vote is a constitutional and statutory right under Article 326 and the RP Act; the drive is about protecting it from wrongful deletion.

Mains practice question

A clean electoral roll must also be a complete one. In the light of the Election Commission's special drive for voters left out after the Special Intensive Revision, discuss how the Commission can balance the purity and inclusiveness of electoral rolls. (150 words)

Model answer

The ECI's 29 September 2026 instruction asks the 20 States and UTs where the SIR is over to enrol "left out" and first-time electors, using plain Form 6 and comparing pre- and post-SIR rolls.

Why purity matters

  • Dead, shifted and duplicate entries enable impersonation and weaken trust.
  • Article 324 and Section 21(3), RP Act, 1950 empower the Commission to order special revisions.

Why inclusion matters

  • Article 326 guarantees adult suffrage; a wrongly deleted voter loses a constitutional right.
  • Extra conditions not in the statute, like the July Form 6 question, can deter genuine applicants.
  • Migrants, women who changed residence after marriage and young voters are easily missed.

Balancing measures

  • Notice and hearing by the ERO before any deletion; written reasons.
  • Publish deletion lists booth-wise and compare pre- and post-revision rolls.
  • Door-to-door document collection by BLOs; special camps.
  • Digital systems like ECINet must allow correction of wrong deletions.
  • Involve party booth-level agents for verification.

An accurate roll is the first guarantee of a free and fair election.

The basics

Why this matters

Elections are only as fair as the list of people allowed to vote. An electoral roll can fail in two ways: it can carry names that should not be there, or it can miss people who should be. The SIR focused on the first problem. The new drive is about the second.

20
States and UTs told to run a drive for left-out voters
These are the States and UTs where the Special Intensive Revision has been completed; the instruction was issued on 29 September 2026.

Who keeps the roll

The Constitution gives the Election Commission superintendence of the preparation of electoral rolls under Article 324 and the Election Commission. The actual work is done by a chain of officers, with the Electoral Registration Officer at its centre: only the ERO can add or delete a name.

The electoral roll machinery
  1. 1Election Commission of IndiaSuperintendence, direction and control under Article 324.
  2. 2Chief Electoral OfficerSupervises roll work in a State or UT.
  3. 3Electoral Registration OfficerStatutory authority who decides inclusions and deletions for a constituency.
  4. 4Booth Level OfficerField officer who verifies voters house to house.
  5. 5Booth-level agents of partiesHelp identify errors and missing voters.

Two ways of updating a roll

Rolls are updated through regular summary revisions and through continuous updation, in which anyone can apply at any time using Form 6 and continuous updation. A Special Intensive Revision is different: it rebuilds the roll through house-to-house enumeration and asks electors to fill fresh forms.

Special Intensive Revision and continuous updation
Special Intensive Revision
  • Ordered under Section 21(3), RP Act, 1950
  • House-to-house enumeration of every elector
  • Aims to remove dead, shifted and duplicate names
vs
Continuous updation
  • Runs throughout the year
  • Applicant files Form 6 for inclusion
  • Main route for young and left-out voters

What changed now

The special drive in four moves
  1. 1Plain Form 6The July question on whether the applicant or parents were on the roll after the previous SIR is dropped.
  2. 2Compare rollsCEOs compare pre-SIR and post-SIR rolls to identify deleted electors.
  3. 3Reach outBLOs collect documents from homes; parties' booth-level agents help trace eligible people.
  4. 4CampsIn Maharashtra, special camps on 3, 4, 10 and 11 October.

Go deeper

In one line: The Election Commission has told 20 States and UTs where the Special Intensive Revision is over to find and enrol eligible voters who were left out, using the plain statutory Form 6.

Why it matters for UPSC

Electoral rolls connect GS2 topics: the Election Commission as a constitutional body, the Representation of the People Act, and the right to vote. Mains 2026 GS2 itself asked about the Commission's role in roll revision.

The core idea

The Commission's power over rolls comes from Article 324 and the Election Commission. Field work is done by the Electoral Registration Officer and Booth Level Officers. A Special Intensive Revision rebuilds the roll from scratch, while Form 6 and continuous updation is the ordinary route for adding names. The new drive uses the ordinary route to repair gaps left by the special one.

Numbers and dates to remember

  • 20 States and UTs covered; instruction dated 29 September 2026; repeated at a CEOs' video conference on 1 October.
  • Maharashtra special camps: 3, 4, 10 and 11 October.
  • Goa: 97 eligible voters to be added through Form 6.
  • SIR began in Bihar in June 2025.

Where to go next

Go deeper: purity versus inclusion

The purity argument. Rolls with dead, shifted or duplicate names invite impersonation and erode trust. The Commission's position is that the Special Intensive Revision removes such entries, and that Section 21(3) of the RP Act, 1950, together with Article 324 and the Election Commission, gives it the power to do so.

The inclusion argument. Opposition parties and civil society groups have argued that the burden of proving eligibility fell on voters, and that poor, migrant and young voters are the most likely to be missed. The July addition to Form 6, which Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu reportedly called "unauthorised/illegal", showed how an extra question not in the statutory form can become a barrier.

What the law requires. Deletion is a decision of the Electoral Registration Officer, who must give notice and a chance to be heard. Digital tools must serve this process. The Goa case, where ECINet could not reverse deletions even after ERO approval, shows the risk when software overrides a statutory officer.

The fix. The present drive leans on Form 6 and continuous updation, comparison of pre- and post-revision rolls and help from parties' booth-level agents. A good benchmark is that every deletion should be traceable to a notice, a hearing and a recorded reason.

Article 324 and the Election Commission

The constitutional root of the Commission's power over electoral rolls.

In one line: Article 324 vests the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections to Parliament, State legislatures and the offices of President and Vice-President in the Election Commission.

How the power works

Article 324 is a broad grant. Where Parliament's laws are silent, the Commission can issue directions to fill the gap, but it cannot act against the law. The detailed rules on rolls are in the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

Related Articles

Article 325 says there shall be one general electoral roll for every constituency and no person can be excluded on grounds only of religion, race, caste or sex. Article 326 provides for adult suffrage.

Where to go next

Electoral Registration Officer

The statutory officer who actually adds and deletes names.

In one line: The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is the statutory authority under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 who prepares and revises the electoral roll of a constituency.

Role

The ERO receives claims and objections, orders inclusion or deletion of names, and is assisted by Booth Level Officers who verify voters in the field. Above the ERO are the District Election Officer and the State's Chief Electoral Officer, who work under the Election Commission's superintendence.

Why it is in the news

In Maharashtra, EROs have been told to give voters enough opportunity to submit documents and to hold hearings before exclusion. In Goa, ECINet could not reverse deletions that EROs had approved, so the 97 affected voters must reapply through Form 6.

Where to go next

Form 6 and continuous updation

The everyday route by which new and left-out voters join the roll.

In one line: Form 6 is the application for inclusion of a new elector in the electoral roll, and continuous updation lets people file it at any time of the year.

The basics

Forms for electoral registration are prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Form 6 is for inclusion; other forms deal with objections, deletions and corrections. Since the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021, young people can register with reference to four qualifying dates in a year: 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October.

Why it is in the news

In July a question was added to Form 6 asking whether the applicant or the applicant's parents appeared on the roll after the previous SIR. The Commission has now told the 20 States and UTs to use the plain statutory Form 6 in the special drive.

Where to go next

Special Intensive Revision

The house-to-house rebuilding of rolls that started this debate.

In one line: A Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a revision of the electoral roll in which officers enumerate electors house to house and electors fill fresh forms, ordered under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

How the current SIR unfolded

The present round began in Bihar in June 2025 and was then extended in phases to other States and UTs. Its stated aim is to remove dead, shifted and duplicate entries and to ensure only eligible citizens are on the roll.

The criticism

Critics say many genuine voters were deleted because they could not produce documents in time. The Commission's special drive in 20 States and UTs, ordered on 29 September 2026, is meant to bring such voters back through Form 6.

Where to go next

Special Intensive Revision: every story that connects to it (2)

Prelims-style quiz

  1. Consider the following about the ECI's instruction of 29 September 2026:
    1. It applies to States and UTs where the SIR is complete.
    2. It requires use of Form 6 without the question added in July.
    3. It asks CEOs to compare pre-SIR and post-SIR rolls.
    How many of the statements given above are correct?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All three
    4. None
    Show answer

    Answer: (c) All three. All three are correct as reported: the drive covers 20 States and UTs where the SIR is over, plain statutory Form 6 is to be used, and pre- and post-SIR rolls are to be compared to find deleted electors.

  2. Consider the following statements:
    1. Article 324 vests superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls in the Election Commission.
    2. Article 326 provides that elections to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies shall be on the basis of adult suffrage.
    3. The minimum voting age of 18 years was part of the Constitution as adopted in 1950.
    4. Electoral rolls are prepared under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
    How many of the statements given above are correct?

    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All four
    Show answer

    Answer: (c) Only three. 1, 2 and 4 are correct. 3 is wrong: the original age was 21; the Sixty-first Amendment Act, 1988 lowered it to 18. Rolls are governed by the RP Act, 1950, while the conduct of elections is under the RP Act, 1951.

  3. Consider the following statements:
    Statement-I: The Election Commission has asked CEOs to compare electoral rolls before and after the Special Intensive Revision.
    Statement-II: Article 326 bars the Election Commission from deleting any name from an electoral roll.
    Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

    1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
    2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
    3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
    4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
    Show answer

    Answer: (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect. Statement-I is correct. Statement-II is wrong: Article 326 guarantees adult suffrage to citizens not disqualified by law; names of dead, shifted or ineligible persons can be lawfully deleted after due process.

  4. The 'Electoral Registration Officer' in India is:

    1. An officer of a political party who checks the roll at each booth
    2. The statutory authority responsible for preparing and revising the roll of a constituency
    3. A member of the Election Commission nominated by the President
    4. The officer who counts votes on counting day
    Show answer

    Answer: (b) The statutory authority responsible for preparing and revising the roll of a constituency. The ERO is a statutory officer under the RP Act, 1950 who prepares the roll for a constituency and decides inclusions and deletions. Party agents are booth-level agents; counting is supervised by the Returning Officer.

  5. Consider the following statements:
    1. Continuous updation allows a person to apply for inclusion in the roll during the year, outside a special revision.
    2. In the special drive, Booth Level Officers are to collect documents from voters' homes.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Show answer

    Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2. Both are correct. Continuous updation runs through the year using forms such as Form 6, and the reported instructions ask BLOs to collect documents from homes rather than require voters to come in.

Syllabus

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