Maharashtra’s Chief Electoral Officer has urged the Election Commission of India to modify Form 6 to help previously registered voters restore their names to electoral rolls. (DC Image)

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to modify Form 6 so that voters whose names were deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) can re-register without declaring themselves “first-time voters”.

A letter to the ECI states that officials on the ground are facing difficulties in persuading voters to sign Form 6, which contains a legal provision for punitive action if the information provided by applicants is found to be false.

Last week, the Maharashtra CEO’s office sent a letter to the ECI highlighting the difficulties faced by election officials in persuading previously registered voters to use Form 6, which is prescribed for new voters.

The form requires applicants to declare that they are seeking inclusion in the electoral roll for the first time and that their names are not included in any Assembly or parliamentary constituency.

Under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, making a false declaration in connection with electoral registration is punishable with imprisonment of up to one year, a fine, or both.

The issue has emerged as the ECI seeks to facilitate the enrolment of voters left out of electoral rolls following the SIR.

On September 29, the Commission ordered a special drive across 20 States and Union Territories where the revision process had been completed, directing eligible voters whose names had been omitted from the rolls to apply through Form 6.

In States such as Maharashtra and Delhi, where the SIR is still underway, the form is also being used by voters seeking to restore their names to the electoral rolls after their deletion from the draft rolls.

Election officials have reported difficulties in persuading such voters to submit Form 6, as many fear that declaring themselves first-time applicants despite having been registered previously could expose them to legal action.

This has created a practical hurdle for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) attempting to facilitate their re-enrolment.

The Maharashtra CEO’s letter seeks to remove the words “new voters” from the form’s title and introduce an alternative declaration for applicants who were previously enrolled in an Assembly constituency but are no longer registered anywhere and are applying for inclusion again.

It also proposes allowing applicants to provide their earlier Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number to help officials trace their previous electoral records.

Officials said that any change to the statutory Form 6 would require the Central government to amend the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

Tags: