EC issues notices to nearly 10 lakh TN voters over errors in electoral roll revision

Chennai: The Election Commission of India has initiated action against nearly 10 lakh voters in Tamil Nadu for failing to provide accurate or complete information during the recently concluded Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Notices have been issued seeking explanations and additional documents to ensure that eligible voters are not excluded from the final voter list. The SIR process in Tamil Nadu commenced on November 4 and concluded on December 14.

As part of the exercise, the Election Commission undertook a comprehensive verification of voter data to identify cases of death, duplicate registrations, untraceable voters and those who had permanently relocated.

Based on this verification, around 97 lakh names were removed from the draft electoral rolls across the state.

During the revision, voters were required to fill out SIR forms with specific details. One key requirement was that if a voter or their relatives had been included in the electoral rolls in 2002 or 2005, the names of such relatives needed to be clearly mentioned in the forms. However, in nearly 10 lakh cases, voters either failed to provide the required details or filled the forms incorrectly.

As a result, the Election Commission has begun issuing notices to these voters, asking them to submit clarifications along with supporting documents. To facilitate compliance, the Commission has indicated that a Permanent Residence Certificate may be submitted as a valid supporting document.

Acting on this directive, the Tamil Nadu government has put special arrangements in place.

The Revenue Secretary has issued a circular to all district collectors outlining simplified procedures for issuing the necessary certificates.

According to the circular, if voters apply online for Permanent Residence or Nativity Certificates, the process may take longer and involve a fee. To avoid delays, zonal tahsildars have been instructed to issue these certificates directly to voters who require them for SIR-related documentation.

Importantly, the Revenue Department has clarified that from now until January 25, all such certificates required for electoral roll corrections will be issued free of cost.

Officials estimate that around 2.5 lakh voters in Chennai, about 1.5 lakh voters in Tiruvallur, and nearly 10 lakh voters across Tamil Nadu will need to submit additional documents.

The Election Commission has assured that the objective of issuing notices is not to disenfranchise voters, but to seek clarification and ensure that all eligible citizens are duly included in the final electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming elections.

IANS