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In a bid to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls and make the voting process more citizen-friendly, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has rolled out a set of new initiatives. Among the key reforms is the integration of death registration data from the Registrar General of India (RGI) into the electoral roll update process.

This integration will enable electoral registration officers (EROs) to receive timely information on registered deaths, facilitating quicker and more accurate deletion of names from the rolls. Booth-level officers (BLOs) will also be able to conduct field verifications based on this data, without having to wait for formal deletion requests through Form 7.

Another major update includes the redesign of voter information slips. The Election Commission has ensured that the serial number and part number of voters are now more prominently displayed. This change aims to simplify the process of locating polling stations and help both voters and polling staff easily identify the correct entries in the electoral roll.

The Election Commission of India introduced three new initiatives aimed at improving the accuracy of electoral rolls. These include obtaining data on death registration for updation of electoral rolls electronically, issuing standard identity cards to BLOs and making Voter… pic.twitter.com/Sj89qc9lbq

— ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025

Additionally, all BLOs will now carry standardised photo identity cards. These ID cards are intended to make BLOs easily recognisable during voter verification and registration drives, reinforcing their role as the first point of contact between the voters and the Election Commission.

The ECI emphasized that these steps are part of the broader reforms envisioned by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar during the Conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) held in March. The conference was also attended by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.

Highlighting the importance of BLOs in the electoral process, the Commission noted that their identification through official ID cards would increase voter trust and engagement during door-to-door visits and other election-related activities.

According to the ECI, linking the electoral rolls with birth and death records will significantly enhance the quality and accuracy of voter data, while also reducing the time and effort required to maintain up-to-date records.

 

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