The Election Commission of India (ECI) has separated the online version of Form 6, the form used to register as a new voter, from the declaration that accompanied it in states where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is still under way, PTI reported on Wednesday (November 4).

Source: PTI via Nagaland Post

Under the revised process, Form 6 and the declaration must now be submitted one after the other, each with its own OTP verification and its own e-Sign, and an application is complete only when both steps are done. Previously the two were submitted together with a single OTP and e-Sign for the applicant's convenience, a senior ECI functionary told PTI.

Source: PTI via Nagaland Post

Why the form was split

In its recent counter-affidavit in the Supreme Court, the Commission said its Electoral Roll Division had decided on October 21 that, similar to physical submissions, online applications would also be divided into two distinct parts: Form 6 as prescribed in the Rules, and the SIR Declaration. In September, the ECI had already withdrawn the declaration from its digital platforms in states where the SIR has been completed.

Source: PTI via Nagaland Post

The change also follows dissent notes by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, who had questioned altering the form without the approval of the Union Law Ministry, The Hindu reported.

Source: The Hindu, summarised by LearnThruPractice

The earlier development this follows

This is a new step, distinct from the Commission's November 3 clarification — reported separately by Awaaz Punjab — that a voter whose name is missing from the SIR draft roll may file Form 6 for inclusion in the final roll without facing prosecution under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 merely for having been enrolled before. That protection applies provided the applicant is not already enrolled in another parliamentary or assembly constituency and the declaration otherwise complies with the law.

Since the Bihar SIR, a declaration has been added to Form 6 seeking SIR details of the parents of those filling the form, PTI noted. Form 6 is filled by those seeking inclusion in the voters' list.