Election Commission Separates SIR Declaration From Form 6, Relief for New Voters

The Election Commission has taken a new decision regarding the controversial Form 6. The Commission has separated the declaration related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) from Form 6. Following this change, applications for adding names to the voter list and the SIR declaration will now have to be submitted separately. This is expected to bring relief to first-time voters as well as those whose names were left out of the voter list during the SIR process.

What is Form 6?

Form 6 is used to register the names of new voters in the electoral roll. It requires applicants to provide basic information such as their age, address and details of family members. However, during the SIR process, an additional SIR Declaration was added to the online Form 6. Applicants had to select one of the following three options:

1. My name was included in the previous SIR voter list.
2. The name of my parents or grandparents was included in the previous SIR voter list.
3. Neither my name nor the name of my parents was included in the previous SIR voter list.

Applicants selecting the first or second option were also required to provide details such as their Assembly constituency, polling booth number and serial number. Applicants could not proceed with the online form without responding to this declaration.

New Change Offers Relief to Applicants

According to the Election Commission's new decision, Form 6 and the SIR Declaration have been separated. New voter registration applications and SIR-related declarations will now have to be submitted separately. This change has been implemented on the ECINet portal.

In states where the SIR process is currently underway, new voters will also have to fill out Form 6 and the SIR Declaration separately. Meanwhile, those whose names were removed from the draft voter list during the SIR process or whose names could not be included can also apply to get their names added again through Form 6.

The Election Commission has also clarified that no action will be initiated against a previously enrolled voter under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, merely for submitting Form 6 to seek inclusion in the voter list. However, this protection applies only if the voter is not already enrolled in another Assembly or Parliamentary constituency and the declaration is otherwise in accordance with the law.

Why Did Form 6 Become Controversial?

According to a report published by The Indian Express on September 23, 2026, two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had raised objections to the decision to include the SIR declaration in Form 6.

According to the report, both Election Commissioners had officially raised objections at least 14 times over decisions and orders related to the SIR in the past 10 months. The report stated that both commissioners argued that several major decisions of the Commission were taken without their knowledge and consent.

However, the Election Commission dismissed these differences, stating that discussions and suggestions are a normal part of functioning in a three-member commission. The Commission also said that all final decisions had been taken unanimously.