Plans afoot to have 4 cut-off dates for new voters to enrol

New Delhi: The Government is planning to have cut off dates to allow more eligible people to register as voters by amending section 14(b) of the Representation of the People Act to insert four qualifying dates (or cut-off dates) -- January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 -- of every year".

The Election Commission of India (ECI) had been pushing for multiple cut-off dates to allow more eligible people to register as voters.

The move  will eventually help have a common electoral roll for the Lok Sabha, Assembly and local body polls as also ensure that more eligible youngsters become part of the electorate.

As of now, for an election to be held in a particular year, only an individual who has attained the age of 18 years as on January 1 of that year or before is eligible to be enrolled in the voters' list. Due to only one qualifying or cut-off date, a person attaining the age of 18 years on January 2 cannot be registered. Therefore, a person who turns 18 after January 1 will have to wait for next year to get registered. The EC had been pushing for multiple cut-off dates to allow more eligible people to register as voters.

The EC had told the government that the January 1 cut-off date set for the purpose deprives several youngsters from participating in the electoral exercise held in a particular year.The law ministry has told a



parliamentary panel that "it is proposed to amend section 14(b) of the Representation of the People Act to insert four qualifying dates (or cut-off dates) -- January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 -- of every year".

It said a comprehensive draft cabinet note "containing this proposal (of four qualifying dates) as well as a few other important electoral reform proposals taken up by the Election Commission is under preparation". 

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Personnel on Friday tabled its 109th report on "Action Taken on 107th report of the Committee on Demands for Grants (2021-22) pertaining to the Ministry of Law and Justice" in the Lok Sabha.

The committee referred to its earlier observation where it had reiterated its recommendation for the implementation of a common electoral roll in the country and desired that "all-out efforts" should be made in this regard.

Responding to the recommendation, the ministry said according to section 13D of the Representation of the People Act, the electoral roll for every parliamentary constituency should consist of the electoral rolls for all the Assembly constituencies within the Lok Sabha segment and it should not be necessary to separately prepare or revise the electoral roll for any such parliamentary constituency.