Amid the controversy surrounding the Election Commission's functioning, the poll panel has restored the original online format of Form 6 for fresh voter registration in states where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is not underway.
The move followed a September 26 meeting of the full Commission comprising Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
After the meeting, the Election Commission said the extra declaration attached to Form 6 was meant only for SIR and that, outside the SIR exercise, the regular forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, would be used.
So, what is Form 6, what was this extra declaration and why did it become controversial?
Form 6 is the form used to apply for new voter registration and add your name to the electoral roll.
It is meant for eligible Indian citizens who want to register as voters in the area where they normally live. This includes people who are turning 18 and those who have never been registered as voters before.
The basic Form 6 remains the same during SIR. However, people applying in areas where SIR is underway may have to provide and declare some additional information.
The additional declaration asked new applicants whether their own name, or the name of a parent or grandparent, appeared in an electoral roll prepared during an earlier SIR.
If the applicant said that a family member's name appeared in the old roll, they could be asked to provide details such as the Assembly constituency, polling booth and serial number from that electoral roll.
For many first-time voters, finding these details could be difficult, especially if their families had moved or if the old electoral records were difficult to access. Depending on the applicant's circumstances, the SIR process could also require additional documents, including documents related to parents.
There were also reports of problems with the online application. In some versions of the portal, the additional section was reportedly shown as non-mandatory, but applicants could not complete the application without responding to it.
The declaration also warned that giving false information could attract punishment under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, including imprisonment of up to one year, a fine or both.
The additional declaration drew objections from Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
According to The Indian Express, Joshi argued that Form 6 could not be changed to include the SIR-related requirement without first changing the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Sandhu later also objected and described the change as 'unauthorised and illegal', according to the report.
Form 6 is part of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. These rules are made under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Section 28 of the Act gives the Central Government the power to make rules for implementing the law, including rules related to voter registration.
This is why the rules became important in the dispute over the additional SIR declaration.
If SIR has been completed in a state or Union Territory, applicants registering as new voters will now use the regular Form 6 without the additional SIR declaration.
In the 13 states and Union Territories where the SIR is still underway, the additional declaration remains part of the online enrolment process.
In simple terms, the additional SIR declarations applies to new voter registrations in areas where SIR exercises are underway. An examination of Form 6 on voters.eci.gov.in showed that the declaration form was available only after it was over; outside these areas, new voters go back to the regular Form 6 process.