EC eases SIR process with home visits, online hearings, extended deadlines

Under scrutiny over difficulties reported during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Election Commission on Saturday announced a series of measures to make the process more accessible, including extended deadlines, doorstep assistance and help desks for people facing notices over deletion of their names.

The decision came after a meeting attended by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

Under the revised arrangements, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct home visits to collect and upload documents on the Commission’s unified ECINet portal for voters whose records remain unmapped or show logical discrepancies.

The Commission also said in-person hearings at the offices of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) would no longer be required except in exceptional circumstances. Such hearings will preferably be conducted online, while authorised family members can appear on behalf of an elector.

Facilities for online hearings are also being strengthened, the EC said.

District Election Officers have been directed to set up an adequate number of help desks and organise special camps, depending on local requirements, for people living in night shelters, labourers, poor and homeless people and others who may need assistance.

The EC said several upgrades had already been made to the ECINet portal based on inputs received from State Chief Electoral Officers over the past few months. Further flexibility will also be introduced if field officials require it, the poll panel said.

In Delhi, the deadline for filing claims and objections has been extended to October 30 following a request from the Chief Electoral Officer. The deadline for disposal of notices, claims and objections has consequently been extended to November 30.

In Maharashtra, the deadline for filing claims and objections has been extended to October 12, while the disposal deadline has been pushed to November 10.

For the 20 states and Union Territories where the SIR has already been completed, including Bihar and West Bengal, the EC said people whose names were left out during or after the exercise can apply afresh for inclusion through the continuous updation process.

This provision also covers young and first-time voters. The respective State Chief Electoral Officers have been directed to facilitate enrolment and immediately launch special drives for those left out.

In Goa, the Chief Electoral Officer has directed BLOs to conduct house-to-house visits to voters left out of the rolls and collect their forms. The EC said 81 of the 97 voters identified in the state had already submitted Form 6 seeking inclusion.