Key Features
De-Duplication of Electoral Roll: Eliminating duplication by reauthentication of Voter Id with Aadhar. it provides for amendment of section 23 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1950, enabling the linking of electoral roll data with the Aadhaar ecosystem.
- Authentication of entries in the electoral roll, and
- To identify registration of the name of the same person in the electoral roll of more than one constituency or more than once in the same constituency.
- This aims to curb the menace of multiple enrolments of the same person in different places.
Multiple Qualifying Dates: According to the bill, four qualifying dates will be declared for updating the voting rolls to include those who have turned 18 — the first day of the months of January, April, July and October.
Gender Neutrality: The language for registration of ‘wives of service voters’ will now be replaced by ‘spouse’. This will make the laws more “gender-neutral”.
Voluntary in Nature: Aadhar linking with Voter Id is voluntary in nature and concerned authorities can not deny inclusion in the electoral roll only due to the inability of an individual to furnish or intimate the Aadhaar number.
Government’s Stand:
- Voluntary Linking: The proposed linkage between the Aadhaar and election database is voluntary.
- No Risk of Disenfranchisement: No application for inclusion of name in the electoral roll shall be denied and no entries in the electoral roll shall be deleted for inability of an individual to furnish or intimate Aadhaar number. No application for inclusion of name in the electoral roll shall be denied and no entries in the electoral roll shall be deleted for inability of an individual to furnish or intimate Aadhaar number.
