Claims and objections
Also called: Claims and objections period · Topic: Elections and the Electoral System · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Claims and objections is the stage in revising the electoral roll (the voters' list) that comes after the draft roll is published and before the final roll. During this window, people can file a claim to add a name using Form 6, an objection to someone's entry or a request to delete a name using Form 7, or a request to correct an entry or record a change of address using Form 8. The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) hears each claim and objection and decides it. A Booth Level Officer (BLO) checks the facts on the ground. The forms come from the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which are made under the Representation of the People Act 1950. This stage matters because only people on the final roll can vote. It gives citizens a chance to fix mistakes before polling.
Example
In Bihar's Special Intensive Revision (2025), about 65 lakh names were dropped, and the draft roll fell from 7.89 crore to 7.24 crore electors. After claims and objections were heard, the final roll on 30 September 2025 had 7.42 crore electors.
Don't confuse with
- Election petition: this challenges an election result. It is filed in the High Court within 45 days of the result. Claims and objections only fix the voters' list, and they happen before the poll.
- Summary revision: this is the yearly process of updating the roll as a whole. Claims and objections is one stage inside it, and inside any intensive revision.