The Election Commission of India has removed a controversial additional declaration requirement from Form 6 in states where the electoral roll revision is finished. This move simplifies voter registration by reverting to the standard form prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The decision follows internal concerns regarding the legality of modifying statutory forms without formal rule amendments.
The Election Commission of India has officially withdrawn an additional declaration requirement for voter registration in states where the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has concluded. The poll body has reverted to the original version of Form 6, effectively removing the extra fields that had been introduced during the intensive revision cycle.
The decision to roll back these changes follows internal deliberations within the Commission. Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had expressed concerns on multiple occasions regarding the procedure used to modify the form. The core of their objection was that Form 6, being a statutory document prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules of 1960, could not be altered through administrative orders alone and instead required a formal legislative process or rule amendment.
Prior to this removal, the modified form had mandated that applicants provide granular details regarding the electoral records of their parents or grandparents, dating back to the early 2000s. This included specific requirements for assembly constituency numbers, polling booth locations, and serial numbers. These added requirements had faced criticism for creating significant documentation hurdles, particularly for younger voters born after the 2000s and those attempting to seek re-enrolment.
According to the Commission, the initial inclusion of these data fields was a targeted effort to verify voter credentials and bolster the integrity of electoral rolls. With the intensive revision process now finished in these states, the Commission has removed the extra fields from the ECINET portal and the websites of respective Chief Electoral Officers to restore the original statutory framework. This change is intended to streamline the registration process and ensure accessibility for new applicants.
It is important to note that this update applies specifically to regions where the revision process has concluded. The additional declaration requirement remains in force in territories where the Special Intensive Revision is still currently ongoing. The Commission maintains that the initial steps were a measure for data integrity rather than a permanent change to the registration rules.