Representative image NEW DELHI: The Election Commission has assured Supreme Court that all attempts will be made to include every eligible citizen in the electoral rolls and no prosecution would be launched against people whose names were deleted from the post-SIR draft electoral rolls, for using Form 6 for restoration of their names in the voters' lists.EC's stand, spelt out in an affidavit filed Saturday, is in sync with the Oct 26 assurance given by a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana while hearing petitions relating to alleged large-scale deletion of voters in Maharashtra and Delhi.
The CJI-led bench had said, "No one will be prosecuted for filling Form 6 seeking re-entering of their names in voters' lists."Petitioners had highlighted voters' apprehension that they might be prosecuted for giving a false declaration in Form 6, which is used for enrolling new voters, that they had never been registered as voters before.
Errors likely in weeding out dead, non-existent voters: EC EC said, "No prosecution will be launched against anyone for filing Form 6 merely on the ground that the applicant/elector was previously enrolled in the electoral roll(s) prior to the SIR and their names did not appear in the draft electoral rolls during the SIR."However, EC said those filling Form 6 to restore their names in the electoral rolls must ensure their names do not figure in the voters' lists in any other assembly or parliamentary constituency.
Assuring the court that efforts have been intensified to register every eligible citizen as a voter, EC said, "A mechanism has also been directed to be put in place to ensure that no elector is deprived of the opportunity to get his/her name included in the final electoral roll, subject to fulfilment of the prescribed eligibility conditions, while taking due care to avoid duplication in enrolment."Accepting that there may have been errors in weeding out non-existent and dead voters from the electoral rolls through SIR, the commission said, "There are challenges on count of the large numbers involved, and also because the full data is being digitised.
There have been and will be problems that arise from time to time and the commission remains alive to the need to ensure that all those who are eligible to vote find their name in the voters' lists but equally, to ensure that all inconsistencies in these lists are addressed."On complaints about large-scale deletion of voters in Delhi through SIR in the ASDD (absent, shifted, duplicate and dead) category, EC said those left out of the draft electoral rolls could submit fresh enumeration forms to electoral registration officers or assistant EROs at their current residential place."Electors who have not shifted may submit the signed enumeration form with the statement giving the reason for the earlier non-submission of the enumeration form.
They can submit it to the ERO/AERO/BLO in person or through family members.
Online submission option with e-sign will be available on ECINET," it said.Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines Those Delhi voters who have shifted residence from one constituency to another can submit fresh enumeration forms along with address proof to the ERO/AERO or avail the option of 'book a call with BLO', it said."Enumeration forms submitted by such electors shall be processed by EROs in accordance with Rule 21(1) of Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and the same EPIC number shall be re-assigned to them.
An elector who has already submitted Form 6 during the SIR need not submit the enumeration form afresh," EC said.
