What is new Form 6B? Delhi CEO appeals to electors to get Voter ID linked with Aadhaar

New Delhi: People willing to link their Aadhaar numbers with the electoral roll can do so from Monday by filling a new Form 6B, an official said.

The Election Commission has introduced the new form with an aim to weed out duplicate entries in the electoral roll. However, furnishing of Aadhaar number is purely voluntary.

The new form has been introduced with effect from August 1 "for collecting Aadhaar number of existing electors to authenticate the entries in the electoral rolls and thus make it absolutely error-free," the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Delhi said in a statement.

"April 1, 2023 is the date on or before which every person whose name is included in the electoral roll may intimate his Aadhaar number in accordance with Section 23 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Furnishing of Aadhaar number is purely voluntary," the CEO office said in the statement.

Last year the Union Ministry of Law and Justice has amended laws for the purpose.

"The amendments in the said Acts broadly cover the use of Aadhaar for electoral registration purpose, multiple qualifying dates, gender neutral provision for service and special electors and power to acquire premises for the purpose of conduct of elections," it added.

Further, the ministry has notified August 1, 2022 as the date on which the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 shall come into force, the statement said.

The Legislative Department in the Union Law Ministry had recently issued notifications announcing that the rules have been amended in line with the provisions of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 passed by Parliament in December last year.

The government has amended the Registration of Electors Rules to allow linking Aadhaar details with voters list to weed out duplicate entries and making election law gender neutral for service voters.

Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh on Monday called upon "all citizens of Delhi to link their Aadhaar number with their voter ID card".

The CEO on Monday also briefed representatives of all recognised political parities about the amendments in the law and the steps taken by his office to "disseminate information and spread awareness about the linking of Aadhaar with voter ID card", officials said, adding he also informed them about the "four quarterly qualifying dates under the amended law".

The primary objective of the programme is to "establish the identity of electors, and authentication of entries in the electoral roll," the statement said.

"It has been emphasised that while handling Aadhaar number of the applicants, the provision under Section 37 of Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services), Act 2016 shall be adhered to. Under no circumstances shall Aadhaar number go public. If the electors’ information is required to be put for public display, the Aadhaar details shall be removed or masked," it said.

An elector can submit his/her Aadhaar number through both online and offline methods. Every person whose name is listed in the electoral roll may intimate his Aadhaar number to the electoral registration officer in Form 6B.

Special camps shall be organised at the booth level in all assembly constituencies to facilitate the voter to link their Aadhaar numbers with voter ID, he said.

The CEO said new voters who have not enrolled for their voter identity card, can enroll along with their Aadhaar card, as well as existing voters who have already enrolled in the voting list can also link Aadhaar with their voter identity card "voluntarily".

The programme shall be completed by April 1, 2023. Efforts will be made to contact 100 per cent electors registered in the electoral roll to assist them in submitting Form 6B, the statement said.

​​"In order to make the forms for registration of electors user-friendly for convenience of the electors, Form 6, 7, 8 have been modified and a new Form 6B has been introduced for collection of Aadhaar data of electors," it said.

"Form 6B will be available on the ECI/CEO websites and on GARUDA, NVSP, VHA etc. for online filling of Aadhaar," the statement said.

Singh said for online submission, an elector may fill Form 6B on elector-facing apps/ portal like NVSP and VHA either through self-authentication (using OTP to be received on the mobile number linked with Aadhaar) or submit Form 6B without self-authentication, with necessary attachments.

"For offline submission, the EROs (electoral registration officers) shall deploy BLOs (booth level officers) for house-to-house visit for collection of Aadhaar numbers in the hard copy of Form 6B. All offline submission of Form 6B shall be digitised by BLOs using GARUDA or by ERO using ERONET, within seven days of the receipt of the Forms," he added.

The ERO shall not delete any entry in the electoral roll on the ground of inability on the part of any existing elector to furnish or intimate Aadhaar number.