Amid row over SIR, Election Commission caps voter-deletion Form 7 filings

The Election Commission recently imposed stricter limits on the number of Form 7 filings, the form used to request the deletion of an elector's name, in response to concerns about bulk submissions causing inconvenience to voters. This decision comes amid criticism over targeted bulk Form 7 filings. The commission notified Chief Electoral Officers across all states and union territories about these instances.

Under the existing rules, only an individual registered to vote in the same assembly constituency can submit a Form 7, which must be done individually. Currently, individuals can submit up to six Form 7 applications online at a time, but there was no limit on the number of physical forms submitted to Electoral Registration Officers.

The commission aimed to discourage bulk filing by individuals. Now, individuals can file up to 10 Form 7 applications, either online or offline, over the entire objection period, which is typically one month following the publication of a draft electoral roll during revision exercises. When the electoral rolls are constantly being updated and no revision is in progress, individuals can file a maximum of five Form 7 applications per month.