Overview
- The Election Commission on Tuesday, Nov 3, 2026, told chief electoral officers that voters whose names are missing from Special Intensive Revision draft rolls may submit Form 6 to seek inclusion and that filing the form alone should not trigger action under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act.
- The protection applies only if the applicant is not already enrolled in another parliamentary or assembly constituency and the declaration in Form 6 is otherwise lawful.
- The ECI cited a Delhi High Court order of Oct 14, 2026, and asked state and union territory offices to widely publicise the guidance in local languages so deleted voters do not hesitate to reapply.
- The Supreme Court has questioned why deleted but previously enrolled voters are being told to use Form 6 instead of restoration routes such as Form 8 or enumeration, and petitioners and activists have urged the ECI to permit those alternatives and issue standard operating procedures for on‑the‑ground staff.
- Opposition parties and campaigners called the clarification inadequate, saying SIR has caused wrongful deletions that have practical harms like lost access to ration cards and passports, and the key next steps to watch are how officials implement the ECI note, whether courts order use of Form 8/enumeration, and how publicity reaches affected voters.