Supreme Court Says It Has Neither Approved Nor Disapproved the New Form 6 for Voter Registration
On October 12, 2026, the Supreme Court said it has neither approved nor disapproved the revised Form 6, the form a person fills to get their name added to the voter list for the first time. The Court said it will examine the form's validity.
The bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana explained that the new form did not even exist when it delivered its May 2026 judgment on the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR). So that judgment could not have approved it.
The revised form adds a declaration: a new applicant must state whether they or their parents were included in the previous SIR of the electoral rolls. The earlier Form 6 did not ask this.
In a press release on September 26, 2026, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had said the Court upheld this declaration in the Bihar SIR judgment. On October 5, the Court said it had not approved any modified Form 6 and asked for records showing who made the changes.
Reports say two Election Commissioners had objected that the form could not be changed without the Central Government amending the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The matter arose in a petition alleging that several decisions were taken without the full Commission's approval. The Court cautioned lawyers against picking out words from its remarks out of context.
The revised form is being used in the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in several states.
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls
An electoral roll is the official list of voters for a constituency. Only people whose names are on it can vote. A Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a very detailed check in which the list is rebuilt almost from scratch: officials go from house to house, collect forms from every voter and verify them. People who are not on the list, such as new 18-year-olds, apply through Form 6.
The new Form 6 declaration links a fresh applicant's claim to the previous SIR. Since Form 6 is the main door into the voter list during an SIR, any extra condition on it can affect who gets enrolled, which is why its validity matters.
Representation of the People Act, 1950: The Law Behind Voter Lists and Seats
The Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RPA 1950) is the law that decides who can be a voter, how voter lists are prepared and corrected, and how seats are allotted. Think of it as the rulebook for "getting ready" for elections. The detailed forms and steps are not in the Act itself. They are in rules made under it, mainly the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The objection raised by two Election Commissioners rests on this structure. If Form 6 is a part of rules that only the Centre can amend (after consulting the ECI), then a change made without such an amendment may be legally weak. This is one of the issues the Court may now examine.
Election Commission of India (Article 324): Powers and Functions
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is the constitutional body that runs elections to Parliament, state legislatures, and the offices of President and Vice-President. Article 324 gives it wide powers over preparing voter lists and conducting elections. It is currently a three-member body: a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners (ECs).
The petition before the Court claims that decisions, including the Form 6 change, were taken without the full Commission's approval despite objections from two Election Commissioners. Whether the Commission acted as a body, as the 2023 Act requires, is central to the dispute.
- Supreme Court remark on Form 6: October 12, 2026 (neither approved nor disapproved; will examine validity)
- Earlier remark: October 5, 2026 ("any modified Form 6 has not been approved by us")
- Bench: CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, Justice V. Mohana
- ECI press release claiming court approval: September 26, 2026
- Bihar SIR judgment: May 2026
- Form 6: inclusion of a new name; Form 6A: overseas electors; Form 7: objection/deletion; Form 8: correction/shifting
- Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, made by the Centre under Section 28 of RPA 1950 in consultation with the ECI
- Four qualifying dates: January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1 (Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021)
- Section 18, 2023 Act: ECI decides unanimously as far as possible, otherwise by majority