Possession of Voter ID Does Not Ensure Voting Rights: Delhi Chief Electoral Officer

New Delhi, December 31 (NationPress) The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi is overseeing a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls, with the qualifying date set for January 1, 2025. A statement released on Tuesday emphasized that possessing a voter ID card alone does not guarantee one's right to vote.

This initiative is being conducted in accordance with directives from the Election Commission of India, aimed at maintaining updated and inclusive electoral rolls for all eligible voters.

During the pre-revision phase, a house-to-house verification process was conducted from August 20, 2024, to October 18, 2024, by Booth Level Officers.

The objective of this exercise was to identify unregistered eligible citizens, prospective voters who will turn 18 by October 1, 2024, as well as to account for deceased electors and eliminate duplicate entries, as stated.

Following this, the draft electoral rolls were made available on October 29, 2024, inviting the public to submit claims and objections, which were accepted until November 28, 2024. All submissions were addressed by December 24, 2024.

The final updated electoral roll is expected to be published on January 6, 2025.

However, the process of updating the rolls through additions, deletions, and modifications is an ongoing activity that is currently in progress.

From November 29, 2024, to date, a total of 485,624 applications for new registrations (Form 6), 82,450 applications for deletions (Form 7), and 171,385 applications for modifications (Form 8) have been received.

Citizens who have not yet registered can still apply for enrollment using Form 6, which necessitates the submission of supporting documents for verification by the relevant Booth Level Officer.

For changes or removals in the electoral roll, Form 8 and Form 7 can be utilized.

The CEO Office in Delhi also cautioned citizens that holding multiple entries in the electoral roll or having several voter ID cards is an offense punishable under Sections 17 and 18 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

Recently, FIRs were lodged against eight individuals for submitting fraudulent documents for voter registration in the Okhla Assembly constituency in Delhi. Strict actions against such violations will continue.

As part of transparency measures, the CEO Office held meetings with political party representatives on September 4, October 9, and October 29.

The CEO Office reiterated that any eligible citizen yet to enroll can apply by submitting Form-6 along with the required documents. After submission, the form is assigned to the Booth Level Officer (BLO) for field verification.

Based on the BLO’s verification report and the documents provided, the Electoral Registration Officer will process the form as per the procedures outlined by the Election Commission.

Once their name is updated in the electoral roll, an EPIC PDF will be generated and sent for printing. Upon receiving the printed EPIC, it will be dispatched to the elector via post. Electors may also download their e-EPIC from the ECI’s portal at https://voters.eci.gov.in.

If any elector has permanently moved or passed away, any elector from the relevant Assembly Constituency can file Form 7 to object to the entry in the electoral roll. Notices will be dispatched to both the objector and the objectee via speed post according to the guidelines set by the ECI, except in cases of registered deaths. If the elector does not respond, their name will be removed from the electoral roll following the necessary procedures established by the ECI and after providing adequate opportunity for response.