Patna : Bihar will conduct a one-month special voter registration drive to identify eligible citizens missing from the electoral roll and facilitate their enrolment. The campaign follows directions from the Election Commission of India (ECI) after completion of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the state.
The drive will focus on left-out voters as well as first-time and young electors who have not yet been enrolled. The ECI has said voter registration is a continuous process and that eligible citizens who are not on the electoral roll can apply for enrolment.
BLOs To Go Door-To-Door
Under the campaign, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit households to verify the status of eligible electors whose names appeared on earlier rolls but are missing from the current electoral roll.
BLOs will compare the current electoral roll with the pre-SIR roll and prepare booth-wise lists of voters whose names have been left out. During household visits, they will ascertain the present status of these electors and facilitate enrolment wherever the person is found eligible.
The BLOs will also identify other eligible people who may have been left out, including first-time and young voters, during the door-to-door exercise.
Form 6 For Eligible Voters
Eligible citizens identified during the campaign will be assisted in submitting Form 6 for inclusion in the electoral roll.
The ECI has asked BLOs to record the status of each identified elector, including whether a Form 6 application has been submitted. Each BLO has been asked to cover around 20 to 25 electors a week, with the verification and enrolment exercise targeted for completion in about one month.
The applications and field-verification reports will subsequently be submitted to the concerned Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) for further action under the applicable electoral laws and rules.
Special Camps May Be Held
The election authorities will also organise booth-level camps to help eligible citizens submit registration applications.
Additional special camps may be arranged for people living in night shelters and labour colonies, as well as homeless and marginalised people who may require assistance in completing the enrolment process.
Awareness and mobilisation activities will also be carried out through educational institutions, local outreach programmes and SVEEP activities to inform eligible citizens about the registration process.
Lists To Be Shared With Political Parties
The lists prepared by BLOs during the campaign will be shared with the Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties.
At the end of the exercise, the Electoral Registration Officers will provide booth-wise lists to political party representatives, allowing them to identify and facilitate the enrolment of any eligible voter who may have been left out.
The Form 6 applications and field-verification reports will be submitted to the concerned EROs, who are responsible for taking further action on the applications.
Focus On Left-Out And New Voters
The special drive is intended to ensure that eligible citizens who were not included in the electoral roll during the revision process get another opportunity to register.
For young and first-time electors, the campaign provides a dedicated opportunity to enter the electoral roll through the regular continuous-updation process. The ECI has specifically directed election officials to facilitate their enrolment along with that of eligible voters who were left out.
The campaign will be monitored at the state, district and Electoral Registration Officer levels, with officials directed to regularly review its progress.
The ECI has reiterated that no eligible voter should remain excluded from the electoral roll, making the one-month campaign an important opportunity for eligible citizens whose names are missing from the current voter list.
