The Election Commission has directed election authorities in 20 states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been completed to undertake special drives to enrol eligible voters whose names were left out, along with young and first-time electors.
Any person whose name has got left out during SIR or thereafter, and any person including young/ first-time voter, may apply to the concerned ERO, for inclusion of their names in the electoral rolls under the process of continuous updation. CEOs have been directed to facilitate the same. The cases have highlighted the need to distinguish between eligible voters who were inadvertently left out and those whose circumstances require separate verification. “The special drives are intended to ensure that eligible citizens, including young and first-time voters, have an opportunity to seek inclusion after SIR.
“SIR has already been completed in 20 States/UTs including Bihar and West Bengal. The CEOs, DEOs, EROs will immediately launch a special drive for enrolment of these electors,” the poll body said in a press note issued on September 26. Of the 97 cases flagged in the coastal state, six people are abroad and three are Portuguese passport holders, while 88 have been enrolled, according to the figures provided by CEO of Goa.
“Special drives shall be undertaken by the District Election Officers (DEOs) & Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) for the enrolment of left out and young/first time eligible electors under the process of continuous updation,” CEO West Bengal said in a post on X. The Election Commission has said that Goa’s Chief Electoral Officer directed booth-level officers (BLOs) to visit the homes of voters whose names were left out and collect their enrolment forms. Their implementation will depend on the ability of electoral authorities to identify omissions, assist applicants and process enrolment requests under the prescribed rules,” a person familiar with the matter said.
