ECI's document rules and deadlines see silent shifts

Between the Election Commission's announcement of June 24, which kickstarted the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar and the final phase, the poll panel has stoutly defended the contentious exercise. However, faced with considerable scrutiny and the Supreme Court's ongoing hearings on the matter, it has been compelled to concede changes from its original plan. ET takes a look.

THE DOCUMENT
The June 24, 2025, ECI order on SIR was clear that all electors must fill their enumeration forms (EFs) and submit them with one of the 11 stipulated documents of proof before July 25 for inclusion in the electoral roll. However, days into the exercise and amid ground reports on difficulties in document procurement by July 7, the Bihar state election machinery began issuing advertisements that EFs could be submitted without due documents, in case not available immediately, and allowed them to add on the document proofs in phase 2 or verification phase.


On July 12, the ECI press statement stated that while "electors have to submit their EFs, preferably, along with eligibility documents", it added that "in case, any elector who needs more time to submit the eligibility documents, can submit them separately till August 30, that is the last date of filing claims and objections". This one quiet shift from the June 24 directions, ensured that bulk of the electorate was included in the August 1 draft electoral roll even without due documents.

On July 27, on completion of the enumeration phase, the ECI stated that 91.69% electors had submitted EFs. However, there is no clarity on the number of those who did so without requisite documents.

THE DELETED
The July 27 statement mentioned 65 lakh cases of deletion from the draft electoral roll, sparking considerable political debate and much argument in the SC and the reasons and unavailability of ready data on the same.

On August 14, the SC ordered ECI to take some 'additional steps', asking them to put out booth-wise data of those whose names appeared in the pre-SIR 2025 electoral roll but are not included in the draft roll dated 01.08.2025. It said reasons for their non-inclusion must be displayed on its website, in searchable mode with the EPIC number.

AADHAAR TWIST
Aadhaar is not one of the 11 documents of proof stipulated by ECI and the SC has also agreed it cannot be considered a conclusive proof of citizenship, an area Bihar SIR has waded into. The SC has, however, urged the poll panel to consider it for assessing cases of claims (for inclusion) being made by the 65 lakh on deletion list, in multiple hearings. The ECI said it will be considering the same- a concession, given its strong stand on the issue earlier.

CLAIMS AND OBJECTIONS
The ECI's June 24 instructions clearly refer to the 01.08.2025 to 01.09.2025 period as the 'period for filing claims and objections'.

In his August 14 press conference, CEC Gyanesh Kumar asked all political parties to participate in the process of electoral roll 'purification', find errors in the draft electoral roll and file claims and objections over the next 15 days. He said no complaints on electoral roll additions/ deletions will be entertained after September 1.

However, in the September 1 hearing in the SC, the order indicates that the ECI has agreed that 'the claims/ objections/ corrections can be submitted even after the deadline of 01.09.2025 and the same will be considered after the electoral roll has been finalised'.

It added that the process of considering claims/ objections will continue until last date of nominations.

ECI sources have not made much of it pointing to the June 24 instructions in para 12. The same provision is applicable across all elections and allows for 'additions' until the last date of nominations, they point out.

This provision, however, is relevant to 'continuous updation' exercises in election year while the ongoing SIR clearly stands apart as compared to all previous electoral roll revisions, summary or intensive. Indications so far show that EC has gradually allowed more latitude amid SC's continued scrutiny.