New voter registration form asks about parents' electoral roll status
12 Jul 2026

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has added a new section to the online Form 6, which is used for registering new voters.

The additional section asks about the status of the applicant's parents in the last Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, The Indian Express reported.

This change comes after over 5.58 crore names were removed from electoral rolls across 10 states and three union territories during an SIR process that started last year.

Applicants must choose from 3 options
Registration changes

The new section on Form 6 is not mandatory, but applicants cannot proceed without filling it out.

They have to choose from three options regarding their own or their parents' names in the last SIR: existing, partially existing, or non-existent.

If they select the first two options, they must provide details like Assembly constituency and booth number. However, it's unclear what happens if they select the third option.

Changes to statutory forms require central government approval
Rule amendment

Despite the ECI's changes, Section 28 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 states that only the central government can amend such rules. This includes changes to statutory forms like Form 6.

Previous amendments to Form 6 required parliamentary approval and notification by the Law Ministry.

Senior former ECI officials said any form changes require an amendment and notification by the Law Ministry since the ECI lacks such powers independently.

Legal standing of new section remains unclear
Unanswered queries

The ECI has not commented on the matter, and The Indian Express reported that attempts to reach Legislative Department Secretary Rajiv Mani were unsuccessful.

The existing Form 6 requires applicants to provide details of family members they reside with.

The new section's introduction raises questions about its legal standing and potential implications for voter registration processes in India.