AP elections: First-time voters can register from October 17 to November 30, final list on Jan 5, 2024

Amaravati: All the electors/eligible citizens who will attain 18 years of age on January 1, 2024, and those who missed enrolment on earlier occasions, can file their applications, objections and corrections from October 17 to November 30, 2023.

The applicants, becoming eligible for registration with subsequent qualifying dates of the year April 1, July 1, and October 1, can also submit their claims in Form-6 in advance from October 17. All such applications can also be filed online at https://voters.eci.gov.in or through the Voter Helpline Mobile App.

In a press meeting held by the Andhra Pradesh chief electoral officer Mukesh Kumar Meena on Monday, he said that the final list of the electoral roll will be published on January 5, 2024. The Election Commission of India has decided to carry out an annual summary revision with reference to January 1, 2024, as the qualifying date.

“House to house to verification by booth level officers (BLOs) will be held between July 21 to August 21. The BLOs will visit every house for verification of the details of electors from the head of the family,” said Mukesh Kumar Meena.

The BLOs will also collect info of:

- Un-enrolled eligible citizens (eligible on October 1, 2023).

- Prospective electors (eligible on three subsequent qualifying dates).

- Multiple entries/dead electors/permanently shifted electors.

- Correction in the ER entries.

During the pre-revision period:

- Proper formation and reorganisation of sections and parts reflecting correct house numbers will be done.

- Location of polling stations on the ground floor would also be ensured.

- 100% removal of multiple entries/dead electors/permanently shifted electors through Form 7

- 100% verification of polling stations and consultation with political parties

- Entry of left out/prospective electors in the database.

- Good quality correct images as per ECI standards

Rationalisation of polling stations

- According to the chief electoral officer, physical verification of the polling station locations will be conducted to assess as to whether the building is in proper condition and it meets other parameters set by the commission for the smooth conduct of the poll.

- A senior officer will be designated by the district election officer to perform the work of physical verification.

- Polling stations having more than 1,500 electors will be rationalized.

- Grouping of all family members and neighbours in a section and maintaining uniformity of addresses in ER & EPICs will be taken up.

- To standardise the address of electors, the fields of addresses like House number/flat number/door number, ward number, street, area/locality, village/town/city, district etc., will be maintained while preparing the roll.

- Where no house number as given by the panchayat/municipal authorities is available, the notional number will be given in the rolls

- Electors will be arranged in roll in sequence according to the House number

- Creating a new polling station or re-organising the existing polling stations by creating/merging/ attaching sections to the adjacent polling stations.

Display of list of claims and objections

Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) will prepare lists of claims and objections. Besides, a list of all claims received will be displayed on the CEO’s website so that citizens can see the list and lodge objections with the concerned ERO.

“List of claims and objections will be made available by ERO to all political parties on a weekly basis. For this purpose, the ERO will call a meeting of all political parties on regular intervals and personally hand over the list of claims and objections to them and obtain acknowledgement,” said Mukesh Kumar Meena.

Meeting political parties and sharing electoral rolls

All district election officers/electoral registration officers will have regular meetings with political parties and request their cooperation in the revision process by appointing booth-level agents (BLAs).

“Two copies of draft/final roll and lists of claims and objections will be shared with recognised political parties, as per the existing provisions, and the list of claims and objections will also be made available by ERO to all political parties on a weekly basis,” he added.

In order to facilitate the stakeholders and bring more transparency in the process of electoral registration, posting of all application forms received in Forms 6, 6A, 7 & 8 on the CEO website on a day-to-day basis

Special campaign dates have been fixed for lodging of claims and objections on October 28, and 29, and November 18 and 19 (Saturdays & Sundays). During these days, the BLO of each polling station will be available along with the booth level agent appointed by the political parties. They will go through the voter lists and identify the corrections and receive the applications, guide the applicants and clear their doubts at the polling station.