The Election Commission's credibility is inseparable from the credibility of the electoral process. Examine the institutional concerns raised by the current Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and suggest safeguards for transparent, inclusive revision. (180 words)

Introduction

Electoral rolls operationalise Article 326's promise of universal adult suffrage. Their revision must therefore combine administrative accuracy with procedural fairness and public trust.

Institutional concerns

• Requiring electors to establish links with two-decade-old rolls or furnish documents can shift the burden of proof onto ordinary citizens.
• Classifying absent, shifted or untraceable voters for deletion risks excluding migrants, tenants, the poor and marginalised groups.
• Software-generated discrepancies, bulk Form 7 objections and centralised data systems may reduce the Electoral Registration Officer's legally mandated independent satisfaction.
• Changes to Form 6 and allegedly inadequate notice, hearings and field verification raise concerns under Articles 14, 19 and 326.

Constitutional and legal safeguards

• Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 permits special revision, but it must remain consistent with due process and the right to vote.
• Maintain the existing roll pending disposal of claims and objections; provide reasoned orders, accessible appeals and multilingual assistance.

Reforms for credibility

• Mandate door-to-door verification, random supervisory audits and independent technical audits of ECINET.
• Publish deletion lists, anonymised reasons and timelines; penalise frivolous bulk objections.
• Enable civil-society observation and periodic all-party consultation.

Keywords

Article 326, Section 21(3), ECI, Form 6, Form 7, due process, universal adult suffrage, electoral integrity.