Bihar electoral list revision: EC eases rules, allows voters to submit forms first, documents later

Bihar’s chief electoral officer on Sunday announced a relaxation in rules for the ongoing special intensive revision of the state’s electoral rolls, allowing voters to submit filled-out enumeration forms even if they lack all the required documents.

Booth-level officers have been instructed to accept and upload all signed forms, with the supporting documents to be submitted later, The Indian Express reported.

The special intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was announced by the Election Commission on June 24, ahead of the Assembly elections expected to be held in the state in October or November.

As part of the exercise, persons whose names were not on the 2003 voter list will need to submit proof of eligibility to vote. This means that 2.9 crore out of the state’s 7.8 crore voters – or about 37% of the electors – will have to submit documentary evidence.

On Wednesday, eleven INDIA bloc parties told the Election Commission that the exercise risked disenfranchising more than 2.5 crore voters, as they may not be able to produce the necessary documents.

While the Election Commission has not issued any new order, the Bihar chief electoral officer’s announcement is reportedly being seen as a response to the repeated objections from Opposition leaders and public anxiety over furnishing the documents, especially with the July 26 deadline just two weeks away.

In a public notice carried in Hindi...

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