Election Commission relaxes norms for ‘no mapping’ voters in SIR drive

Prayagraj: The Election Commission has relaxed norms under the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, offering major concessions to those placed in the "no mapping" category. Voters who were unable to furnish proof of their or their ancestors' presence in the 2003 electoral roll can now avoid personal hearings if they submit any one of four key documents — a birth certificate, caste certificate, high school mark sheet, or passport — to their booth level officer (BLO).During the SIR drive, voters were required to provide proof that they, or their parents or grandparents, were listed in the 2003 voter list. In Prayagraj district alone, around 2.87 lakh voters failed to provide such details and were subsequently placed in the no mapping list. The EC initially prescribed 13 acceptable documents, including PAN card, Aadhaar card, driving licence, passport, govt-issued identity cards and educational institution IDs.However, after receiving notices, many voters faced difficulties attending hearings at designated courts, leading to procedural bottlenecks and public inconvenience.Responding to the concerns, the commission gradually introduced relaxations. Earlier, relatives of voters residing outside the district were allowed to present documents on their behalf. Now, with the latest easing of norms, submission of any one of the four specified documents directly to the BLO exempts voters from appearing for hearings altogether.Sub-divisional election officer, Pooja Mishra confirmed that voters in the no mapping list need only submit one of the four documents to complete the process. Meanwhile, the district administration intensified efforts to enrol new voters, particularly in the 18-19 age group. Since the commencement of the SIR campaign (on Oct 27, 2025), the number of newly registered young voters rose to 9,444. Of these, 4,053 were added between Oct 27 and Jan 6, while 5,391 were enrolled thereafter.DMManish Kumar Verma said the focus is now on adding eligible new voters and completing pending hearings with necessary flexibility as per commission guidelines. With more than 10.62 lakh notices issued due to no mapping and logical discrepancies affecting over 7.5 lakh voters, the administration significantly strengthened manpower. The number of assistant electoral registration officers was increased from 201 to 344, with 143 new AEROs deployed to expedite verification