Politics
ECI Separates Online Form 6 and Declaration for States in SIR Process
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has split the online Form 6, used for new voter registrations, from its accompanying declaration in states where the State‑wise Integrated Registration (SIR) exercise is ongoing. Earlier in September, the commission had removed the declaration from its digital platforms in states where SIR had finished. Form 6 is used for fresh voter registrations, and since the SIR in Bihar a separate declaration was added to the physical forms. In the digital version, however, the declaration was bundled with Form 6 into a single form. The ECI explained that using one OTP for both documents had led to concerns that the form had been altered without approval from the Union Law Ministry. This issue was highlighted in dissent notes by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. A senior ECI official said on Wednesday that, previously, Form 6 and the declaration were submitted together using a single OTP and e‑Sign for applicant convenience. Under the revised process, each must be submitted separately, requiring a separate OTP verification and e‑Sign. Applicants must complete both steps for successful submission. In a counter‑affidavit submitted to the court last week, the ECI stated that, following an October 21 decision of its electoral‑roll division, online applications in Form 6 should be divided into two distinct parts: Form 6 as prescribed in the Rules and the SIR Declaration. The ECI also clarified on Tuesday that no action would be taken against voters who had been included in a previous electoral roll and had submitted Form 6 during or after the SIR process, provided they are not already enrolled in any other parliamentary or assembly constituency.