EC directs states to share absentee and deceased voter lists with political parties
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) - The Election Commission on Wednesday issued an important directive under the ongoing SIR process in all 12 states and union territories.
The Commission has directed the Chief Electoral Officers of the respective States and Union Territories to share the list of absentee, shifted, dead or duplicate voters (ASDs) prepared at the booth level with the booth level agents of political parties. This is the same process which was successfully adopted during the Special Reforms Campaign in Bihar.
The Commission stated that voters who remained uncontacted after three or more door-to-door visits by booth-level officers were classified as ASD. It is now necessary to verify the status of these voters so that errors can be corrected before the voter list is published. To achieve this, booth-level officers will meet with booth-level agents appointed by political parties at each booth and hand over the complete ASD list to them.
According to the Election Commission, approximately 500,000 booth-level officers and over 1.2 million booth-level agents will participate in booth-wise meetings across these 12 states and union territories. The Commission states that the purpose of this process is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the list and that any errors are corrected in a timely manner.
The Election Commission has also clarified that booth-wise, assembly-wise, and district-wise ASD lists in all states and union territories will be made available on the websites of the respective District Magistrates and Chief Electoral Officers. This list will also be available in a searchable format based on the identity card number. This system, adopted in Bihar, is now being implemented in other states across the country.
The Commission states that this step is important to enhance transparency and make the voter list more accurate. This will also provide political parties with a clear picture of the actual situation and enable them to actively participate in voter list work. The Election Commission has urged all states to comply with the instructions in a timely manner to ensure the successful completion of the special correction process.