Name missing from Delhi's draft voter roll? Forms 6 and 8 explained, and what you can still do

The extended period for filing claims and objections in Delhi's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter roll ended on 30 October. The Election Commission has said notices, claims and objections in Delhi will be disposed of by 30 November.

That does not close the door for voters whose names were left out of the draft roll. The steps below are drawn from the Commission's own instructions and the Supreme Court hearing of 28 October.

First, check your entry

Search for your name on the Election Commission's voters' services portal, voters.eci.gov.in, using your EPIC (voter ID) number or your personal details. The same search is available on the Voter Helpline app. The office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi, also publishes roll information for each assembly constituency.

If you find your entry, note your part number and serial number. If you cannot find it, contact your booth level officer (BLO). Your BLO's details are listed on the voters' portal against your polling station.

Form 6 or Form 8?

The two forms are not interchangeable, and the difference came up repeatedly in the Supreme Court on 28 October.

• Form 6 is the application for inclusion of a new elector. It includes a declaration that you are applying for the first time.
• Form 8 is for an existing elector to shift their entry to a new address, correct details, replace a card or mark disability.

If you have never been on any roll, use Form 6. If you were on the roll and simply moved within Delhi, the bench said Form 8 is the right form. The Chief Justice's example was a voter moving from Vasant Kunj to Sarita Vihar, who should be able to find their existing entry and report the change on Form 8.

In the Delhi revision, the Commission had asked people marked "shifted" to apply on Form 6. The court questioned this and asked the Commission to clarify publicly that both forms remain available. Until that clarification is issued, keep a copy of whatever you submit and the acknowledgement number.

If you received a notice

Under the Commission's 26 September decisions, a person issued a notice for being "unmapped" or for a "logical discrepancy" does not have to attend a hearing at the registration office. The BLO is to collect documents at home and upload them for the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) to decide. Hearings are to happen only in exceptional cases, preferably online, and any adult family member can be authorised to attend for you.

District officers have also been told to set up help desks and special camps for people in night shelters, labourers, the poor and the homeless.

Enrolment does not stop on 30 October

The Commission has said that anyone left out during SIR, and any first-time voter, can apply to their ERO under continuous updation of the rolls. It has also issued instructions for a Special Summary Revision with 1 January 2027 as the qualifying date, which means people who turn 18 by that date can apply.

If your name was deleted

Deletion of a name from the roll requires an order of the ERO. If you believe you were wrongly removed, ask your ERO for the order and the reasons. The Representation of the People Act, 1950 provides for an appeal against an ERO's decision under Section 24: a first appeal to the District Magistrate (or an Additional District Magistrate, Executive Magistrate or District Collector), and a second appeal to the Chief Electoral Officer of the state.

Keep your acknowledgements

Note the date you applied, the form number and the reference number. If an official asks you to file a form you think is wrong for your case, ask for the instruction in writing. You will need it if you appeal.