The Election Commission of India has decided to publish a booth-wise list of dead, permanently shifted, duplicate and absent voters whose enumeration forms do not reach the Election Commission after the household visits by block-level officers are carried out.
The list of these names will be published before the draft rolls are published in an apparent bid to avoid controversy over the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, especially in Bengal.
“The commission will publish a draft list on December 9 of all existing voters who submit enumeration forms irrespective of the fact that their names or their parents’ names match with the 2002 electoral rolls. But a list of voters who figure in the 2025 lists but whose forms are not received by the poll panel would be published between December 4 and December 9 in the panchayat, municipality and block offices. This will bring more transparency to the entire exercise,” said a senior official in the poll panel.
An EC official explained how the plan would work on the ground to maintain transparency in the entire process.
“For example, a booth has 1,000 voters. During the process of filling up enumeration forms, let us assume that the EC got back only 800 forms. Names of all 800 voters would figure in the draft rolls. But before the draft rolls are published, the poll panel would publish the names of all the remaining 200 voters who did not fill up the forms,” said the official.
The move, sources said, assumed significance as it was considered that those who cannot fill up the enumeration forms are either dead or have shifted permanently.
Enumeration forms are not likely to be filled in by the voters whose names figure in the rolls in multiple constituencies.
Additionally, bogus voters or people suspected to be fictitious will also not be able to fill in the forms as the BLOs would not be able to trace them during the house-to-house surveys.
“However, to avoid any kind of controversy, the names of those who don’t fill the forms would be put on the notice board of the panchayat, municipality and block offices before the draft rolls are published. If anyone feels that s/he could not fill in the form due to some reason and s/he is a genuine voter, s/he can appeal before the electoral registration officer between December 9 and January 8. The applicant would be heard by January 31,” said a source.
Poll panel sources said that after the draft rolls are published, the voters who figure in 2002 lists or those whose parents figure in the rolls would not be required to submit
any paper.
But those who filled in the forms but could not establish any link with the 2002 lists, could be called by the EROs for verification, where he or she would have to submit any of the 11 documents mentioned by the EC to establish their claims.
On the other hand, the genuine voters who can’t fill in the enumeration forms because they for some reason figure under the list of dead, shifted, duplicate or fictitious lists, can also apply before the ERO.
“They will also be called for a verification where they might be required to submit required documents before the election registration officer (ERO) to establish their claims. If they are not satisfied with the decision of the ERO, they can appeal before the district election officer (DEO) or the DM and also the Bengal chief electoral officer in case they don’t agree with the decision of the DEO,” said a source.
The decision, sources said, would also help all political parties get to know how many people have not figured in the draft rolls even before the draft rolls are published.
“If the political parties feel any genuine voter has been left out, their representatives can help the person concerned to appeal before the ERO. Each case will be considered with the utmost sincerity. There will be no confusion over the omission of names from draft rolls,” said an official aware of the development.