The Election Commission of India has withdrawn the additional Special Intensive Revision related declaration that had been added to Form 6 for new voter registration in states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision process has already been completed.
Form 6 is the statutory application used by eligible citizens to seek inclusion of their names in the electoral roll. The Election Commission introduced an additional declaration linked to the Special Intensive Revision process on the online version of Form 6 available through its ECINET platform. The declaration sought information connecting an applicant or their parents or grandparents with electoral rolls prepared during an earlier intensive revision.
The Election Commission has now removed this additional requirement from the online application process in areas where the SIR exercise has concluded. Applicants in those locations will use the regular Form 6 prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The decision follows a meeting of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on September 26, 2026. Following the meeting, the Election Commission stated that the declaration attached to Form 6 was intended for the SIR period and that the forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, would be used during periods when SIR is not underway.
The additional declaration has not been removed everywhere. It continues to apply in states and Union Territories where the Special Intensive Revision is still in progress. This means the requirements for new voter enrolment can differ depending on whether the SIR exercise has been completed in the relevant area.
The Form 6 issue had also become a matter of internal discussion within the Election Commission. According to reports, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections regarding the modification of Form 6. The objections concerned the legal procedure for changing a statutory form prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The Indian Express reported that the additional declaration was inserted into the online Form 6 on the ECINET platform earlier in 2026. The downloadable Form 6 available on the Election Commission website had not contained the same declaration at the time the change was reported.
The Election Commission subsequently clarified its position on September 26. According to the Commission's statement, the SIR related declaration would apply during the SIR process, while the statutory forms under the existing electoral registration rules would be used during the non SIR period. The Commission also said that SIR had been completed in 20 states and Union Territories at that stage and directed election officials to facilitate enrolment of eligible voters through continuous updating.
The change is relevant particularly for first time voters and other eligible citizens seeking inclusion in the electoral roll after the completion of SIR in their respective state or Union Territory. In areas where the additional declaration has been removed, applicants will not have to provide the SIR specific information through the additional section of Form 6.
However, the situation remains different in locations where the Special Intensive Revision is still underway. According to reports published after the September 26 meeting, the additional declaration remains part of the process in such areas.
The Election Commission has also stated that eligible citizens whose names were left out during the SIR process, as well as young and first time voters, can apply to the concerned Electoral Registration Officer for inclusion through continuous updating. Chief Electoral Officers, District Election Officers and Electoral Registration Officers have been instructed to conduct special enrolment efforts.
The latest change therefore does not remove Form 6 from the voter registration process. Instead, it changes whether the additional SIR related declaration accompanies the form, depending on the status of the SIR exercise in the relevant state or Union Territory.
For citizens applying for voter registration, checking the latest instructions issued by the Election Commission and the concerned Chief Electoral Officer is important because the requirements can vary according to the stage of the SIR process. Applicants should provide accurate information and the documents required under the applicable voter registration rules.
The Election Commission's latest decision brings the online Form 6 process back to the statutory format in areas where the Special Intensive Revision has already been completed, while retaining the additional SIR related requirement in areas where the revision exercise is continuing.
