Maharashtra Seeks Changes to Voter Form 6 as Deleted Voters Face Re-enrolment Hurdles

Maharashtra has asked the Election Commission to amend Form 6 so previously registered voters can seek re-enrolment more easily.

Why Has Maharashtra Sought Changes?

The office of Maharashtra’s Chief Electoral Officer has submitted a proposal to the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking changes to Form 6, which is currently prescribed for new voter registrations. The proposal follows difficulties faced by voters whose names were deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

On September 29, the ECI directed a special enrolment drive across 20 states and Union Territories where the SIR had been completed. Officials were instructed to use Form 6 to restore eligible voters who had been left off the rolls. However, previously registered voters have expressed concerns about declaring themselves first-time applicants.

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What Is the Problem With Form 6?

Form 6 requires applicants to declare that they are seeking inclusion in an electoral roll for the first time and are not registered in any Assembly or Parliamentary constituency. A false declaration can attract penalties under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, including imprisonment of up to one year, a fine, or both.

Election officials have reported difficulties persuading previously registered voters to complete the form. The concern has also affected Electoral Registration Officers responsible for restoring eligible names to electoral rolls.

What Changes Are Being Proposed?

Maharashtra has proposed removing the words “new voters” from the title of Form 6. It also wants an alternative declaration allowing applicants to state that they were previously registered in a particular Assembly constituency but are no longer enrolled anywhere.

Applicants would also be permitted to provide their earlier Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers to help officials verify previous registrations. Any statutory amendment would require the Central government to change the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

What Has the Supreme Court Said?

The controversy has also reached the Supreme Court, which is examining changes made to the online version of Form 6. Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu had earlier questioned an additional declaration concerning applicants’ family electoral records during previous SIR exercises.

• On October 5, Chief Justice Surya Kant said the court had not approved a modified Form 6 and would examine the relevant records.
• On October 12, a three-judge bench clarified that it had neither approved nor disapproved the modified form.
• During an October 14 hearing concerning Delhi, the court indicated that it was considering an order addressing the confusion over re-enrolment. The hearing was advanced to October 28.

Maharashtra’s proposal raises a practical question about electoral registration: how should previously enrolled voters regain their place on electoral rolls without making declarations intended for first-time applicants? The proposed changes seek to distinguish re-enrolment from fresh registration while retaining verification through earlier voter records.