Voter List / Odisha to Launch Special Enrolment Drive for Voters Left Out of Electoral Roll After SIR

Bhubaneswar, Oct 3: Odisha will undertake a special enrolment drive to add eligible voters who were left out of the electoral roll after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), along with first-time voters who are yet to be enrolled.

The initiative follows directions issued to state election authorities for a special drive in areas where the SIR process has been completed. The exercise is aimed at identifying eligible electors whose names appeared in the pre-SIR electoral roll but are missing from the current roll, as well as new and young voters.

BLOs To Conduct House-To-House Verification
Under the drive, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will compare the current electoral roll with the roll prepared before the SIR.

A list will be prepared of voters whose names appeared in the earlier roll but are not present in the current electoral roll.

BLOs will then conduct house-to-house (H2H) visits to verify the current status of the identified voters. Those found eligible will be assisted in submitting Form 6 for inclusion in the electoral roll.

The BLOs have been given a target of adding around 20 to 25 eligible voters per booth within a month, according to the instructions issued by the Chief Electoral Officer's office.

Lists To Be Shared With Political Parties
The lists prepared by BLOs will be shared with Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties.

After the field verification, the Form 6 applications and verification reports will be submitted to the concerned Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).

The EROs will take necessary action on the applications in accordance with electoral laws and rules.

After completion of the campaign, booth-wise lists will also be provided to representatives of recognised political parties, allowing them to assist in the process of identifying eligible voters who may have been left out.

Also Read: Odisha Launches ‘Sujala’ Campaign to Promote Water Conservation, Safe Drinking Water

Special Camps For Voter Enrolment
Officials have also been directed to organise Booth Level Camps to facilitate voter enrolment.

Where required, special camps will be organised for people staying at night shelters, labour settlements, homeless persons and other vulnerable or underserved groups.

The Election Commission has stated that voter enrolment remains a continuous process and that eligible citizens should have an opportunity to register even if they were not included during the SIR enumeration.

Odisha's SIR exercise was completed in September, with the final electoral roll published on September 21. The state's electorate stood at around 3.16 crore after the revision, according to officials.