SIR: Against 80.62 lakh shifted, absent names, only 6.66 lakh Form-6 applications
Official data shows that while over 8 million voters were removed from draft rolls due to being marked as shifted or absent, only a small fraction have applied for re-inclusion. Technical glitches and lack of awareness are cited as primary barriers to the process.
Why it matters
Low re-registration rates raise concerns about the accuracy of electoral rolls and potential disenfranchisement of voters in upcoming elections.
While more than 80.62 lakh names were deleted from the draft roll after being marked as shifted or absent, and these voters were asked to fill Form-6 to be included in the final rolls, only 6.66 lakh Form-6 applications have been received so far — less than one in 10 of those marked as shifted or absent have applied for inclusion. The figure also includes applications from new voters.
While 24,328 Form-6 applications were received on September 19, during the second campaign when BLOs were instructed to help the public with the inclusion and correction process, 6,42,670 applications were received between June 16 and September 17.
While people can fill Form-6 even after the final rolls are published, the current figures suggest that the number of net additions could be low in the final roll.
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