Election Commission tweaks declaration form for voter enrolment after Bihar SIR

The Election Commission has changed the declaration portion that accompanies two key voter forms, a modification that officials say dates back to the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise carried out in Bihar.

According to commission officials, a separate declaration form was introduced alongside Form 6, used for new voter enrolment, and Form 8, used for corrections and updates to electoral roll entries. The change was approved by the three-member commission when the SIR process got under way in Bihar last year.

The same declaration was ratified again during the second and third phases of the revision, officials said, indicating that the revised format has been carried forward through the exercise rather than being a one-time adjustment.

The commission has not offered further details on the specific contents of the declaration or the reasons behind the revision. The change is procedural in nature and applies to the documentation submitted by applicants seeking to be added to the rolls or to have their existing particulars amended.

Bihar's SIR, which involved a door-to-door verification of existing electors, was conducted in multiple phases. The commission's decision to attach a distinct declaration to the two forms formed part of the administrative framework for that exercise.