Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C informed that The Election Commission of India has introduced new initiatives aimed at improving the accuracy of electoral rolls, making the voting process more convenient for citizens. These measures are in line with the initiatives as envisaged by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Gyanesh Kumar during the Conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), in the presence of Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi in March this year.
The Commission will now obtain death registration data electronically from the Registrar General of India in line with Rule 9 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 and Section 3(5)(b) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (as amended in 2023). This will ensure that the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) receive timely information about registered deaths. This will also enable Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to re-verify the information through field visits, without waiting for a formal request under Form 7.
To make Voter Information Slips (VIS) more voter friendly, the Commission has also decided to modify its design. The serial number and part number of the voter will now be displayed more prominently, with increased font size, making it easier for voters to identify their polling station and for polling officials to locate their names in the electoral roll efficiently.
The Commission has also directed that all BLOs, who are appointed by the EROs under Section 13B(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, be issued standard photo identity cards to ensure that citizens can recognise and interact confidently with BLOs during voter verification and registration drives. As the first interface between the voters and the ECI in performing election related duties, it is important that BLOs are easily identifiable to the public while conducting house-to-house visits.