India
Jharkhand Extends Voter Roll Claims and Objections Deadline to September 30
The deadline for submitting claims and objections regarding Jharkhand's electoral rolls has been extended for a second and final time, now set for September 30. This extension allows eligible citizens to seek inclusion or corrections in the draft voter list. The initial deadline was September 4, which was then extended to September 15.
When the draft electoral roll was published on August 5, 4,361,987 voter names were omitted under the categories of absent, shifted, dead, and duplicate (ASDD). Specifically, 763,903 were classified as dead, 1,592,194 as shifted, 1,450,810 as absent or untraceable, and 68,283 as duplicate. The Election Commission (EC) also indicated that notices would be issued to 6,324,116 voters for hearings as part of this process.
The Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office announced the extension on Tuesday, citing requests from various stakeholders and the volume of Forms 6, 7, and 8 being received. Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar stated that eligible Indian citizens whose names are not on the draft electoral roll can submit Form 6, along with a required declaration, via ECINET or through their Booth Level Officer (BLO) by September 30. Form 7 is for filing objections or requesting the deletion of a name on specified grounds, while Form 8 is for corrections, address changes, or transferring a voter's registration.
Kumar clarified that filing a Form 7 does not automatically lead to a voter's name deletion. The Electoral Registration Officer must follow a prescribed process, including inquiry and hearing, before making a final decision. Last week, Congress leaders, including state general secretary and SIR convener Suryakant Shukla, submitted a memorandum on September 11 requesting an extension. Shukla emphasized the party's desire for more time to properly handle claims and objections, ensuring eligible voters are not excluded. The CEO urged eligible citizens to complete the process before September 30, reiterating that the goal of the SIR is to ensure all eligible Indian citizens are included and no ineligible individuals are on the electoral roll.