The special voter camps in Delhi aim to assist homeless individuals, transgender persons, and sex workers during the ongoing revision of electoral rolls. According to the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer, these camps will take place on September 23 and 24 from 5 pm to 9 pm at designated night shelters and other selected locations across the city’s 13 districts.

The initiative intends to address the specific challenges these communities face in proving their identity or residence, which is essential for voter registration. The elections officials reported that outreach efforts would be coordinated in collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that work with these groups.

Booth-level officers will be present at the camps to assist with the registration process, ensuring that the needs of the participants are adequately met. This initiative is a critical part of the electoral process, aimed at including as many eligible voters as possible.

Concerns Over Representation in the Draft Roll

Recent reports indicate a significant decline in the number of registered third-gender electors in Delhi’s draft electoral roll. The count dropped from 1,261 in the prior electoral roll to 447 as of the draft published on August 31. This has raised alarm among transgender community representatives, who have highlighted various barriers encountered during the registration process.

These concerns include discrepancies in names across various identity documents and difficulties in providing proof of permanent residence. Furthermore, some individuals reportedly do not have access to necessary documentation, which is often held by estranged family members. Such issues complicate the process of verifying identities during the enumeration exercise.

A booth-level officer remarked that many homeless individuals lack standard forms of identification or residence documentation, making it challenging to confirm their voting eligibility. Nevertheless, the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer’s office has reiterated that anyone qualifying as an “ordinary resident” will be included in the final electoral roll.

Upcoming Opportunities for Voter Registration

In addition to the special camps, general voter registration activities are planned at all polling station locations in Delhi on September 20 and 27. These sessions will run from 10 am to 5 pm, providing another opportunity for voters to check the draft roll and submit forms for registration.

Electors will also receive assistance in completing applications through the Election Commission’s Voters’ Service Portal or the ECINet mobile application. The draft roll, as published on August 31, includes 97,53,577 electors, which comprises 49,88,993 men and 47,64,137 women. This marks a decrease from the 1,55,24,858 electors listed for the 2025 Assembly elections.

Individuals who are not included in the draft roll have until September 30 to file claims for their inclusion, using Form 6 along with the required supporting documentation. The review and resolution of these claims will continue until October 29, with the final list of electors due for release on November 4.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share