New Delhi: The Election Commission has eased rules in Form 6, used for adding new voters to the electoral roll, in states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists has been completed.
Under the revised approach, applicants will no longer be required to mention their parents’ or grandparents’ details from earlier electoral rolls as a mandatory condition while applying through Form 6.
Form 6 is typically used by citizens who have turned 18 to apply for inclusion in the voter list, either online or in person. During the SIR exercise in several states and UTs, new voters were asked to submit an additional declaration with family-linked details to establish ancestral linkage.
The Commission said that in 20 states where SIR work has fully concluded, applicants can now follow the older procedure and submit Form 6 without providing such family information. However, in states where SIR is still underway, the additional declaration will continue to be required.
Separately, in Maharashtra—where SIR is ongoing—the state’s Chief Electoral Officer S. Chockalingam instructed booth-level officers that people may send documents in response to notices through the officers’ WhatsApp numbers, and home visits should be made only if verification of authenticity becomes necessary.
