Election Commission to link voter rolls to birth & death database

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission, moving towards a system of constant updation of rolls by weeding out dead voters and ensuring that all citizens above 18 years of age are enrolled, shall be linking the voters list with the register of births and deaths in the time to come.
The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023 allows for making the database of registered births and deaths maintained by the Registrar General of India (RGI) available to authorities dealing with the preparation or maintenance of database related to the electoral rolls, in addition to the population register, Aadhaar number, ration card, passport, driving licence, property registration etc. Specifically for the electoral rolls, the Act adds that the preparation or maintenance of database related to the rolls shall be without prejudice to the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Once electoral rolls are linked with the registered births and deaths database, citizens who attain 18 years of age can automatically get added to the voters’ list, provided they meet all other criteria for enrolment. Similarly, deaths registered in the database maintained by the RGI can be used for automatic deletion of deceased voters from the rolls. This will ensure that the voters’ list is in a constant state of updation.
At present, separate statutory forms must be filled by a new voter wanting to enrol or for removing a dead voter, which also requires verification through a death certificate. Updation of rolls is done annually, though special summary revision is done prior to an election.
“Regular updation of voters’ list shall be strengthened in close coordination with the birth and death registration authorities,” an EC press release said, announcing the impending electoral reform that is latest in a series of six to seven reforms introduced after chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar took charge.
As part of the bold steps charted out by EC — comprising Kumar, S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi — in the past one month, technical consultations with UIDAI have begun on linking electors photo identity card (EPIC) with Aadhaar. Duplicate EPIC numbers will be eliminated in the next three months and suggestions have been called by April 30 from political parties on matters concerning the conduct of polls. The poll body has meanwhile also written to the chiefs of all recognised parties to indicate a convenient time for discussions with it.
All-party meetings are being hosted across the country by the 36 state/UT chief electoral officers (CEOs), each of the 788 district election officers (DEOs) and as many as 4,123 electoral registration officers (EROs) through this month to resolve outstanding and emergent poll-related issues. The process will be completed by March 31, said EC.
EC has also offered to train political party representatives and their appointed booth level agents (BLAs) on the due roll updation process, which the parties have welcomed.