VOTER REGISTRATION RULES EASE AS EC DROPS EXTRA SIR DECLARATION IN COMPLETED STATES

September 30, 2026

The Election Commission has withdrawn the additional Special Intensive Revision-related declaration attached to Form 6 in states and Union Territories where the electoral-roll revision exercise has already been completed.

Form 6 is used by individuals seeking fresh enrolment as voters. Under the additional requirement introduced during the SIR process, applicants were asked to provide information linking themselves or their parents to earlier electoral rolls.

With the SIR exercise completed in several states, the Election Commission has now removed the additional declaration from the online voter-registration process in those jurisdictions. New applicants in these areas can submit the standard Form 6 without the additional SIR declaration.

The change follows objections raised within the Election Commission over the manner in which the additional requirement was incorporated into the online registration system. The issue had triggered debate over the legal procedure for modifying the voter-enrolment process.

The additional declaration will continue to apply in areas where the SIR exercise is still underway and where it forms part of the procedures governing the revision of electoral rolls. Applicants in such jurisdictions remain subject to the applicable SIR-related requirements.

The Election Commission’s latest move effectively restores the simpler registration process in areas where the intensive revision has concluded. It also separates ordinary voter enrolment from additional verification requirements specifically associated with an ongoing SIR exercise.

The decision is expected to simplify the process for prospective voters in states where the electoral-roll revision has already been completed, while the Commission continues its broader nationwide exercise to update and verify electoral rolls.