(Photo: IANS)
New Delhi, September 24 (IANS) Any person whose name does not feature on the voter list or has attained 18 years of age on the first day of January, April, July, or October can register as a voter without waiting for any kind of voter revision as part of regular updation of electoral rolls as per specified rules, according to Election Commission officials.
In order to register as a voter with the Election Commission of India (ECI), the rules stipulate that one should be an Indian citizen, have attained the age of 18 years on the qualifying date, is ordinarily resident of the part or polling area of the constituency where one wants to be enrolled, and is not disqualified to be included as a voter.
As per the Amendment in Section 14 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, read with Section 19 of the same Act, any person whose name in not on the electoral rolls or attains 18 years of age can get themselves enrolled, specified poll officials.
The rules stipulate that anyone meeting the required specifications may register as a voter without waiting for any kind of revision as a part of regular updation of electoral rolls, they added.
The clarification come amid the reports of concerns being raised that a delay in the annual revision of electoral rolls may affect the timely inclusion of a new generation of voters who have attained the required age as per the provisions.
The issue has been brought forward at a time when reports have cited differences within the Election Commission.
The report claimed that the annual Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls has not resumed since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, adding that the delay could affect the inclusion of young citizens who have become eligible to vote.
Officials clarified that both SSR and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) are done under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and are optional.
There is no legal requirement to hold both together, they assured.
The officials point to the poll body's efforts to engage young voters, particularly those in the 18-29 age group, to ensure their participation in the electoral process.
Incidentally, there has been an increase in their numbers with 21.7 crore young voters in India as of January 1, 2025.
This growth, they claim, reflects a broader trend of increasing voter engagement among younger generations.
