Election Commission caps Form 7 objection applications by individual electors during electoral roll revision

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has capped the number of Form 7 applications an individual elector can file, in a move to discourage bulk objections to names in the electoral rolls.

Under the new limits, an individual elector can file a maximum of 10 Form 7 applications during the entire period of claims and objections. During the period of continuous updation of electoral rolls, the cap is 5 applications per month. The limits apply to both online and offline filing.

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The directions were issued in a letter dated October 9, 2026, to the Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories.

The Commission noted that instances had come to its notice of individual electors filing Form 7 objections in bulk on unsubstantiated grounds. This caused avoidable inconvenience to the electors who were objected to and added to the workload of field-level functionaries, the letter stated.

The letter pointed out that the number of applications an individual can file online is already fixed at six at a time, subject to disposal. However, there was no limit on physical forms presented in bulk. This was left to the judgement of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), which created challenges on the ground.

Existing rules

Under Rule 13(2) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, an objection to the inclusion of a name must be filed in Form 7. It can be made only by a person whose name is already on the roll of that constituency.

For the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) period, the Commission had earlier allowed Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties to file applications in bulk. A BLA can submit up to 50 forms a day to the Booth Level Officer before draft publication and 10 forms a day after it.

The letter also referred to the Manual on Electoral Rolls, 2023. It says claims and objections presented in bulk by an individual, including those sent by post, should not be entertained. It also provides for personal cross-verification by the ERO where the same person is the objector in more than five cases.

Directions to EROs

The Commission told EROs to ensure that Form 7 is filled in with full details and signed by the objector at the appropriate place. A seal of the signature cannot replace the original signature. EROs must also check the genuineness of the applicant against the electors list.

As per Rule 17 of the 1960 Rules, any claim or objection not lodged within the specified period, or in the specified form and manner, shall be rejected by the ERO.

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If an objection is not disposed of under Rule 17 or 18, the ERO must first issue a notice to the objector and hear him personally. The ERO must record the statements separately for each Form 7 and be satisfied about the validity of the objection. The ERO must then give the person objected to an opportunity of hearing before passing an order.

If the ERO finds a complaint to be false or fabricated, action can be taken against the applicant who knowingly made a false statement or declaration in Form 7, under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

The Chief Electoral Officers have been asked to bring the instructions to the notice of all EROs, Assistant EROs and other field-level functionaries, and to give them sufficient publicity.