Voter Rolls to be linked with Birth and Death Records

In a significant electoral reform, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that electoral rolls will now be directly linked with birth and death registration data from the Registrar General of India (RGI).

This move aims to improve the accuracy of voter lists by ensuring timely deletion of names of deceased individuals without waiting for formal requests through Form 7.

The updated system will provide Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) with regular data feeds on registered deaths, enabling faster updates to the rolls. Booth-Level Officers (BLOs), who play a vital role in field-level verification, will also be able to cross-check this data through house-to-house visits, strengthening the reliability of the system.

As part of this initiative, BLOs will now carry special photo identity cards to ensure they are easily recognised by the public. Given their role as the first point of contact for citizens during voter registration and verification, the move is expected to enhance public trust and interaction.

Additionally, the ECI has redesigned the voter information slip to make it more user-friendly. The revised slip will prominently display the voter’s serial number and part number, making it easier for voters to identify their polling station and for officials to quickly locate names in the electoral roll on polling day.

These reforms align with the vision of the Chief Election Commissioner to build a more accurate, transparent, and citizen-centric electoral process, ensuring smoother and more reliable elections across the country.