ECI Orders Assam BLOs to Ensure Clear Photos, Accurate Addresses

New Delhi: In a bid to keep the electoral rolls less controversy prone, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the Booth Level Officers (BLO) carrying out Special Revision (SR) in Assam to have proper photographs of the voters and accurate addresses as far as possible.

In its instructions issued to the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Assam, the ECI has said all discrepancies should be removed from the electoral roll and EPICs during the roll revision exercise that begins on January 1, 2026. Prior to the exercise, the BLOs must check on improvement of image quality of the voter, ensuring good quality photographs by replacing blurred, poor quality and not to specification and non-human images on the roll.

“The software-based reports shall be generated for the 'black and white images', 'not to specification images', 'non-human images' and 'no image' entries. For replacement of such images, BLO field verification through BLOs should be done and necessary applications i.e. Form-8 along with photograph as per specification shall invariably be collected from the electors and proper track record of such replacement be kept,” the order says. Additionally, BLOs are also authorised to take pictures of electors as one option.

Regarding the removal of discrepancies and potential duplicate or multiple entries from the electoral roll, the commission specified that before the draft publication, all logical errors must be removed, addresses standardised, and the quality of photographs checked.

Concerning the use of notional house numbers, the Election Commission clarified that it will not affect the legal status of the properties involved. All notional house numbers have to begin from `N’ and in addition to allotment of notional house number, BLO should also mention the nearby landmark so that the house can be distinctly identified upon inquiry.

“In case, no separate house/building number is given by the Panchayat/Municipal Authorities, the BLO will give a distinct non-zero notional number to each separate house/building/structure in which the elector(s) resides. However, BLO shall ensure that all electors from a household residing in one house are given the same notional house number,” the order says.

On furnishing of Aadhaar number the order said an applicant can voluntarily furnish his/her Aadhaar Number in Form 6 and Form 8. However, no application for inclusion of name in electoral roll shall be denied and no entries in electoral roll shall be deleted for inability of an individual to furnish or intimate Aadhaar Number.

The ECI action came following electoral roll Bihar that was prepared after Special Intensive Revision (SIR). However, some managed to get pictures of dogs and cats into the electoral rolls to prove the flaws in the system.