SIR draft rolls: Election Commission reopens enumeration forms for voters left out in Delhi and six states; Telangana has till 21 November

Voters struck off the SIR drafts in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and five other regions have one more way back on to the final list. On Friday, 6 November, the Election Commission of India told the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland to take enumeration forms again from people left out during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The decision covers electors who were handed a form during the SIR, did not return it and were then classed as absent, shifted, dead or duplicate (ASDD). The seven regions, none of which has published its final SIR roll, hold 4.51 crore such names. Telangana accounts for 73.39 lakh, Delhi for about 47.5 lakh and Andhra Pradesh for 44.89 lakh. The Andhra Pradesh count splits into 22.30 lakh shifted or absent, 15.22 lakh dead and 7.37 lakh duplicate entries.

So far these voters had been pointed to Form 6, the application for new electors, which includes a declaration that the person is not registered anywhere else. On 28 October the Supreme Court, hearing a petition from Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri about deletions in Delhi, questioned that route and asked the Commission to consider accepting enumeration forms now. Both activists welcomed the letter, saying the return of old EPIC numbers preserves a voter’s history on the rolls.

What a left-out voter must file

A voter still living at the same address files the signed form and a note giving the reason for the delay. Anyone who moved within the state skips Form 8 and writes the new address and constituency in that note, attaching proof. A homeless voter can rely on a field report by the Booth Level Officer (BLO).

The papers go to the BLO or the electoral registration officers, in person or through a family member, or online on ECINET with an e-sign. Those who have already filed Form 6 need not apply again, and everyone restored keeps the earlier EPIC number. The ASDD lists will be put up again on each CEO’s website and at polling stations and panchayat, municipal and BDO offices, and BLOs will make house visits with the parties’ booth agents. The helpline is 1950.

Dates state by state

The Commission’s letter names no closing date. Telangana’s CEO office has set 21 November for the exercise, while claims and objections there close on 26 November. In Andhra Pradesh that stage ends on 20 November, and no separate date for these forms was available at the time of filing. Final rolls in both Telugu states and in Maharashtra are due on 30 November. Delhi takes claims till 25 November and publishes its final roll on 22 December.