Election Commission Eases Voter Verification Rules

Guwahati: The Election Commission of India scrapped mandatory in-person hearings for voters flagged during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Officials finalized the shift on September 26 at 3 pm during a full Commission meeting at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi. The mandate applies to individuals tagged as unmapped or those showing logical discrepancies in their records.

Booth Level Officers will now visit homes to gather necessary paperwork. These staffers then upload the files to the ECINet portal for review by the Electoral Registration Officer. Personal appearances are now the exception, not the rule. If a hearing is absolutely required, the Commission prefers it happen online. An adult family member can stand in for a voter during these sessions. The Commission stated, "The decisions were taken at a meeting of the full Commission at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi." Staff must now beef up digital infrastructure to support these remote meetings.