Approximately 49.6 million voters in Bihar are set to benefit from a new initiative, relieving them of the need to submit additional documents. The Election Commission of India (EC) has uploaded the 2003 electoral rolls on its official website, https://voters.eci.gov.in. These lists contain detailed information about the voters, meaning they and their children will not need to provide separate documentation.
The EC’s directive, issued on June 24, mandates that the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), District Election Officers (DEO), and Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) make hard copies of the 2003 electoral rolls available to all Booth Level Officers (BLOs). These lists have also been made public online to allow people to download them and use them as documentary evidence when submitting enumeration forms.
This step is considered crucial under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign currently underway in Bihar. According to the Commission, around 60% of voters will not need to submit documents. They will only have to verify their names and details in the 2003 list and fill out the enumeration form. This will streamline the process for both voters and BLOs, making it faster.
Furthermore, those whose names are not in the 2003 list can use the relevant sections of the same list to prove their parents’ names. In such cases, separate documents for parents will not be required. These voters will only need to submit their personal documents along with the enumeration form.
The revision is essential as the voter list is a dynamic document, undergoing continuous updates due to deaths, relocation, and the addition of new voters. Under Article 326 of the Constitution, Indian citizens aged 18 years or older, who are ordinary residents of the relevant constituency, are eligible to become voters.