Names of all Indians above 18 years old should appear in electoral rolls, says CEC

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar addresses an electoral literacy event in Ahmedabad on Friday. (Express Photo)

“The aim of the Election Commission is that the names of every Indian citizen above the age of 18 years should appear in the electoral rolls, and that they go to vote,” India’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar said on Friday.

He was speaking during a press briefing after a meeting of the Electoral Literacy Club at the AUDA Auditorium in Ahmedabad.

“These include the youth or elderly of our family, of any religion, whether it’s women, men, divyangjan (specially abled) or LGBT,” the CEC said.

“More than 11 lakh booth level officers (BLOs) and 15 lakh booth level agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties are involved in this initiative.”

Kumar did not take any questions from the reporters on the occasion.

“Everyone, especially the youth, should download the ECINET application, enter their voter ID number and ensure they are in the electoral rolls. You will be able to get all information from the same mobile application. Those whose names are not there, they can fill Form-6 and make a declaration on this app itself to ensure it is done. We have to make sure that no eligible voter is left behind,” Kumar said.

The ‘declaration’ on the ECINET introduced recently requires applicants to provide details of their parents’ status in the last Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls — down to the polling booth number and the individual elector’s serial number on that roll. This was done even as the statutory Form 6 for new enrolments has yet to be amended under the Ministry of Law.
The Election Commission has completed the SIR in 10 states and three Union Territories since June last year while the exercise is underway in 19 states.

Story continues below this ad

Reaching out to youth

Before the media briefing, Kumar addressed the regional conference on Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELC) and the ECINET App under the ECI’s flagship SVEEP programme. The primary objective of this regional conference was to enhance electoral literacy among citizens, promote ethical and informed voting, bring transparency to the electoral process through innovative digital technologies, and propagate the vision of ‘Transparency from Roll to Poll’.

A statement  said, “CEC Gyanesh Kumar and other dignitaries engaged directly with and encouraged over 1,000 members of Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs), nodal officers from schools and colleges, campus ambassadors, Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and various stakeholders. The Chief Election Commissioner listened to the queries of young voters regarding the electoral process and provided them with guidance.”

Under the guidance of the State’s Chief Electoral Officer, Sandeep Sagale, and District Election Officer, Bhavya Verma, the regional conference featured various sessions providing comprehensive insights into electoral literacy and technological innovations.

Sagale, was quoted as saying, “The primary objective of the Electoral Literacy Club (ELC)—launched by the Election Commission of India in 2018 under the SVEEP programme—is to familiarise young citizens with democratic values and the electoral process. In this changing digital era, these clubs in schools and colleges are now being developed into year-round, experiential, and digital platforms through ‘ELC 2.0.'”

Story continues below this ad

The event had powerpoint presentations on ‘ELC and Voter Education & Awareness’ by Ashish Goyal, Director General (Media); ‘ECI Net APP’ by Seema Khanna, Director General (IT); ‘Overview of Indian Elections: Trust & Transparency’ by Shubhra Saxena, Director; and ‘ELC 2.0 – Functioning & Features’ by Apoorva Kumar Singh, Deputy Director. Live demonstrations of the voter registration, voting, and vote-counting processes were also conducted during the event.

Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters. Expertise Health and Public Policy: He has deep expertise in healthcare issues, including rare diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the complex logistics of organ transplants, and public health challenges like drug-resistant TB and heat health surveillance. His on-ground reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mucormycosis was critical in exposing healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities in Gujarat. Social Justice and Legal Administration: He reports on the functioning of the legal and police system, including the impact of judicial philosophy, forensics and crucial administrative reforms (. He covers major surveillance and crackdown exercises by the Gujarat police and security on the international border. Disaster and Crisis Management: His work closely tracks how government and civic bodies respond to large-scale crises, providing essential coverage on the human and administrative fallout of disasters including cyclones, floods, conflict, major fires and reported extensively on the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad. Civic Infrastructure and Governance: Provides timely reports on critical civic failures,  including large scale infrastructure projects by the railways and civic bodies, as well as  the enforcement of municipal regulations and their impact on residents and heritage. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram