The integrity of the electoral roll is the foundation of free and fair elections. Examine the safeguards against wrongful deletion of voters during intensive revisions of rolls.

Article 326 entitles every adult citizen to be registered as a voter [4]. In an intensive revision the roll is prepared afresh (Rule 25) [2], so a wrongful deletion quietly takes away a person's vote. Bulk Form 7 objections during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) show that the safeguards exist but leave gaps [3].

Statutory safeguards

• Right to be heard: under Section 22 of the RP Act, 1950, a name cannot be deleted without a reasonable opportunity of being heard [1]. Rule 21A applies the same rule to deletions the ERO starts on its own [2].
• Who can object: only an elector on the same roll may file Form 7 (Rule 13) [2].
• Notice and inquiry: the voter objected to gets notice in Form 14, and the ERO holds a summary inquiry (Rules 19–20) [2].
• Appeal: within 15 days (Rule 23) [2], and to the CEO under Section 24 [1].
• Deterrence: a false declaration can bring up to one year in jail (Section 31). An officer's breach of duty can bring up to two years (Section 32) [1].

Administrative safeguards

• Supervision: ECI supervises roll preparation under Article 324 [4].
• Caps on bulk objections (October 2026): one elector may file 10 Form 7s per claims period and 5 per month during continuous updation, online or physical [3].
• Manual on Electoral Rolls, 2023: bulk objections by one person are not entertained. The ERO must personally verify when one person objects in more than five cases [3].
• Party-agent quotas: BLAs may file 50 forms/day before the draft roll is published and 10/day after [3].

Gaps

• Notice may be pasted at the "last known residence" [2], so it often misses migrants.
• Bulk Form 7s were filed in party leaders' names in four States [3]. A cap per elector does not check who the objector really is.
• The cap of 10 is higher than the check threshold of 5. This piles extra checks on EROs during short SIR windows [3].
• Only recognised parties' BLAs may file in bulk [3].

Way forward

• A second notice by SMS or a BLO visit before any deletion.
• Booth-wise data on objectors shared with party agents.
• Prosecution of false objectors under Section 31 [1].

The hearing, notice, appeal and the new caps give layered protection. Even so, they protect the process more than the individual voter. If ECI makes sure notices actually reach voters and makes false objections costly, revisions can clean the rolls without excluding eligible voters. That is what Article 326's promise of universal adult franchise requires.