Revision of Electoral Rolls

Revision of electoral rolls is the statutory process of updating the official list of electors so that eligible citizens are included and incorrect or ineligible entries are corrected or removed. It is governed by the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, under the supervision of the Election Commission of India.

Constitutional and statutory basis

Under Article 324, the Election Commission supervises the preparation and revision of electoral rolls. Article 325 requires one general electoral roll for every territorial constituency, while Article 326 provides for elections based on adult suffrage.

• Registration requires Indian citizenship, attainment of 18 years on a qualifying date, and ordinary residence in the constituency.
• The statutory qualifying dates are 1 January, 1 April, 1 July and 1 October.

Modes and stages of revision

Under Section 21, rolls are revised in the prescribed manner before general elections and bye-elections, unless the Election Commission otherwise directs as permitted by law. Under Rule 25, it may order intensive revision, summary revision, or partly intensive and partly summary revision.

• Intensive revision prepares the roll afresh, while summary revision uses the existing roll and publishes it in draft for claims and objections.
• The Commission may order revision in any year or a special revision of a constituency or part of it for recorded reasons.
• Draft publication is followed by claims and objections, inquiry and disposal by the Electoral Registration Officer, and final publication.
• The existing roll remains operative until the revised roll is finally published and takes effect.

Safeguards against deletion and available remedies

A name cannot be deleted merely on an untested allegation. During revision, the Electoral Registration Officer must follow the prescribed process for objections or proposed deletions, including verification or inquiry and an opportunity to contest the action.

• An objection to a person's inclusion must be made in the prescribed form; notice of the hearing is given to the objector and the person objected to under Rules 19 and 20.
• For proposed deletion before final publication because a person is dead, has ceased to be ordinarily resident, or is otherwise not entitled, Rule 21A requires prescribed notice and consideration of objections before a decision.
• Under Section 22, correction, transposition or deletion during continuous updating requires verification; a person facing deletion for loss of ordinary residence or other ineligibility must receive a reasonable opportunity to be heard.
• Orders on correction, deletion or inclusion are appealable under Section 24.
• After the last date for nominations and until completion of the election, action under Sections 22 and 23 is barred.