ECI Separates Voter Form 6 and Declaration in Online SIR Process
· India · The Hindu, India Today
The Election Commission of India (ECI) now requires separate submissions for online Form 6 and its accompanying declaration in states where the State-level Information Report (SIR) is active. This change, effective from 4 November 2026, follows a September withdrawal of the declaration in states where SIR has been completed and addresses prior concerns over a single OTP being used for both documents. ECI official clarified that applicants must now complete two distinct steps: a separate OTP verification and e‑Sign for each part, mirroring the physical process used for voter enrollment. The revision was highlighted in dissent notes by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, who flagged the earlier unified digital procedure as potentially bypassing Law Ministry approval. Meanwhile, the Commission reaffirmed that no punitive action will be taken against voters who seek re‑enrolment through Form 6, emphasizing the procedural shift is purely administrative.
Why it matters
Indian voters in SIR‑active states now face a more cumbersome registration process, as they must file two separate forms with individual OTP verifications, increasing time and technical hurdles for new enrolees. The change also signals heightened scrutiny of ECI’s digital procedures following concerns about bypassing ministerial oversight, potentially affecting voter turnout and prompting further legal or procedural reviews by dissenting commissioners.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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