Chief Electoral Officer under the RPA, 1950

The Chief Electoral Officer is the state-level authority that oversees electoral-roll administration under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Under Section 13A, the officer supervises the preparation, revision and correction of all electoral rolls in the state, subject to the Election Commission's authority.

Appointment and position

Each state must have a Chief Electoral Officer. The Election Commission of India, in consultation with the state government, designates or nominates an officer of that government as the Chief Electoral Officer.

Scope of statutory supervision

The Chief Electoral Officer exercises statewide supervision over the electoral-roll process but remains subject to the superintendence, direction and control of the Election Commission.

• The officer supervises the preparation of electoral rolls for eligible constituencies in the state.
• The officer supervises the revision of existing rolls so that they remain updated.
• The officer supervises the correction of electoral rolls, including rectification of entries through the statutory process.

Place in the administrative chain

The Chief Electoral Officer provides state-level supervision, while the Electoral Registration Officer under Section 13B is directly responsible for preparing and revising the roll of a constituency. District Election Officers coordinate electoral-roll work within districts, subject to the Chief Electoral Officer's supervision and control.