Supreme Court Orders EC Not To Alter Voter Forms

The Supreme Court has instructed the Election Commission not to modify Forms 6, 7, and 8 for voter registration in Delhi.

The court's decision comes after it questioned the EC's decision to ask people whose names were previously on electoral rolls to submit Form 6 for re-enrolment during the Special Intensive Revision in Delhi.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, suggested that the EC develop a simpler mechanism to help eligible voters whose enumeration forms were not submitted or received. The court also asked the EC not to set a cut-off date for re-enrolment.

Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, pointed out that Form 6 is meant for new voters, while Form 8 is used to update an elector's address. The petitioners sought measures to ensure that eligible voters are not excluded from the electoral rolls due to difficulties in submitting enumeration forms.

The EC has indicated that it is willing to extend the deadline for submitting applications. The petitions were filed by transparency activists Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri, who raised concerns about the number of voters whose enumeration forms were not received during Delhi's SIR exercise.

According to the petitions, around 47 lakh voters' forms were not received, and approximately 43 lakh voters were classified as either 'permanently shifted' or 'absent'. The court's decision aims to ensure that eligible voters are not excluded from the electoral rolls due to such difficulties.

The Supreme Court's intervention seeks to simplify the voter registration process and prevent eligible voters from being excluded due to technical difficulties. The EC is expected to develop a new mechanism to address the concerns raised by the petitioners and the court.