The Election Commission now requires first‑time voters to disclose their parents' status in the previous Special Intensive Revision (SIR) when filing Form 6 online, aiming to streamline voter verification.

Key Takeaways

  • Form 6 now includes a mandatory declaration of parents' previous SIR status
  • Online registration cannot be completed without this information
  • Goal is to improve roll accuracy and reduce document burden for new applicants

India’s electoral rolls are periodically refreshed through a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. In a fresh move, the Election Commission has inserted a new declaration section into Form 6 – the statutory form used by first‑time voters, newly eligible citizens and those whose names have been deleted from the rolls.

How the New Declaration Works

When applicants access Form 6 on the ECINET portal, a new question appears between Parts J and K. They must choose one of three options: (i) their own name appeared in the previous SIR roll, (ii) a parent’s or grandparent’s name appeared, or (iii) neither the applicant nor any parent/grandparent was listed. Selecting the first or second option obliges the applicant to provide the assembly constituency, polling‑booth number and serial number as recorded in the earlier SIR. The third option is also permissible, but the portal does not clarify the consequences of this choice.

Implementation Timeline

The declaration was initially introduced during Bihar’s SIR exercise launched in June 2025 and has since been rolled out in all states and Union Territories where SIR has been conducted. An EC official explained that the addition helps map current applicants to the previous roll and reduces the number of supporting documents they must submit.

National Impact of Ongoing SIR

SIR exercises have already been completed in West Bengal, Bihar, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, with many other regions still in the process. The overarching aim is to purge duplicate, deceased, migrated, absent or foreign voters from the lists. By linking new applicants to the earlier SIR data, the Commission hopes to pre‑empt disputes that arise when names are removed, as families can now trace the historical presence of their relatives in the rolls.

Regulatory Context and Future Outlook

Although the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, have not yet been formally amended, the administrative instruction makes the declaration mandatory for online submissions. This reflects the Commission’s willingness to adapt procedural mechanisms swiftly, reinforcing the integrity of the democratic process by ensuring that the voter list remains both accurate and transparent.