Election Commission of India Limits Bulk Voter Deletion Requests

The Election Commission of India has introduced strict limits on the number of Form 7 applications an individual elector can submit to object to voter inclusions or seek the deletion of names from electoral rolls. Under the new regulations, individuals are permitted a maximum of 10 applications during Summary Revision periods and five applications per month during continuous updating. These caps apply to both online and offline submissions.

The decision follows reports of bulk filings in Odisha and Karnataka. Specifically, the Indian National Congress alleged the misuse of electoral rolls in Karnataka, citing a case in Ballari where a Bharatiya Janata Party worker allegedly submitted 7,561 Form 7 applications. To curb such activity, the Commission now requires Electoral Registration Officers to issue notices to objectors, conduct personal hearings, and record separate statements for each application to verify validity before any name is removed.

While individual limits are now strict, booth-level agents of political parties may still submit bulk applications through booth-level officers. These agents are limited to 50 forms per day before the draft roll publication and 10 per day after. The Commission has further ordered the prosecution of any individuals who knowingly submit false or fabricated statements under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.