The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday announced that it would share a list of “electors not found at their addresses” with political parties.
Political parties usually get the draft electoral roll after a revision to file claims and objections. The poll panel on Wednesday said that almost 7 crore registered electors out of the 7.9 crore electorate in Bihar have returned their enumeration forms in January — the first step to be included in the draft electoral roll — under the special intensive revision (SIR), which officially began on June 25.
Electors have to return the forms by July 25 — even without the specified documents that the Opposition says many don’t have — to retain their names on the electoral roll.
The EC said in a statement: “To re-verify the electors who have not been found at their addresses even after three visits of BLOs, probably deceased or permanently shifted or having enrolled at multiple places, this information will also be shared with district presidents of political parties/1.5 lakh booth-level agents appointed by them from tomorrow onwards, so that exact status of such electors can be confirmed by them before 25.07.2025.”
Legally, the onus of verifying a voter is solely with designated election officials. Parties merely have the facility to observe the process and point out violations of norms.
