Bihar electoral revision infringes on promise of universal adult franchise, says civil rights group

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2 days ago

Non-governmental organisation People's Union for Civil Liberties told the Election Commission on Friday that its decision to conduct a special intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar infringed on the constitutional promise of universal adult franchise.
The organisation said that the exercise was ill-advised and hasty, and that it would only 'serve to exclude those without requisite documentation'.
The special intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was announced by the Election Commission on June 24, ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in the state at the end of the year.
As part of the exercise, persons whose names are not on the 2003 voter list will need to submit proof of eligibility to vote. This means that 2.93 crore out of the state's total 7.89 crore voters – or about 37% of the electors – will have to submit documentary evidence.
Voters born before July 1, 1987 must show proof of their date and place of birth, while those born between July 1, 1987 and December 2, 2004 must also submit documents establishing the date and place of birth of one of their parents. Those born after December 2, 2004 will need proof of date of birth for themselves and both parents.
The People's Union for Civil Liberties on Friday remarked that ordinarily, the burden of including people in the electoral rolls lies with the Election Commission. 'In one fell stroke, this executive order inverts the whole process – the burden of inclusion is shifted on to the marginalised voter and also made document-centered,' the organisation said in its letter to the poll panel,' it said.
The PUCL said that it is incumbent on the Election Commission to make sure that those with 'document deficits', lack of access to technology, inability to fill forms, or inability to remain physically present for documentation do not get left out of the process.
'The primary responsibility is to be inclusive and ensure universal adult franchise,' the organisation said. 'The process of disqualifications may begin once an equitable and fair process has been applied to create a mother roll. The process of testing for disqualifications is not meant to take primary place at the cost of equitable enumeration.'
Amid the revision of electoral rolls, many voters have expressed difficulties in procuring documents for the exercise as Aadhaar cards are not sufficient for the purpose. The PUCL, however, pointed to the amended Form 6 for adding new voters to the electoral rolls, and noted that it allowed for submitting Aadhaar cards as documentary proof.
The organisation also noted that the amended form does not ask for proof of birth of parents of the voter. 'This would make the requirement of 'self-attested declaration', 'non acceptability of Aadhaar cards' and 'additional proof of birth of parents' de hors [outside of] the Rules,' it said.
The PUCL also questioned why, as part of the revision, booth-level officers were distributing enumeration forms to voters rather than conducting a survey as provided for in the rules. It also said that the enumeration form differs significantly from the Form 4 prescribed for the survey.
'This short-cut, which shifts the onerous burden of filling up forms and collecting documents on to voters may have been done due to paucity of time, but it remains de hors the Rules,' the non-government organisation said.