Lok Sabha passes electoral laws (Amendment) bill

Lok Sabha on Monday passes a 2021 election law bill (amendment) bill to link voter identification cards with Aadhaar. A voice vote passed the Bill. 

The Electoral Law (Amendment) Bill, 2021 seeks electoral registration officials to pursue the Aadhaar number of persons who wish to register as voters “to establish ownership”. 

It also seeks to allow electoral registration officials to request Aadhaar numbers “from persons already on the election list to verify candidates, and identifying the registration of the same constituency”. 

At the same time, the amendment bill makes it clear that “no application for nomination will be rejected and no entries in the electoral roll will be removed due to a person’s inability. To provide or approve the Aadhaar number for a sufficient reason cannot be determined”. 

The Bill amends some parts of the law 1950 People’s Law Act to allow four “proper” days for eligible persons to register as voters. 

The Statement of Objects and Reasons for the Bill states that Section 23 of the RP Act, 1950 will be amended to allow for the integration of electoral roll data with the Aadhaar ecosystem “to prevent the risk of multiple registrations in one place”. 

An amendment to section 14 of the RP Act, 1950 will allow for a “four-day” qualifying period for eligible persons to register as voters. 

From now on, January 1 every year is the only day of eligibility. People who turn 18 on or before January 1 can register as voters. Those who will turn 18 then have to wait a year to register as voters. 

Now, “January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 calendar year” will be qualifying days to prepare or review election documents. 

This amendment will also help replace the word “wife” instead of the word “partner”, which makes the principles “gender-neutral”. 

Everyone named on the electoral list roll may intimate their Aadhaar number to such authority in such form and manner as may be prescribed, on or before a date to be notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette,” the government said. 

Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021: List of amendments 

• Section 23, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, has been amended to enable linking electoral roll data with Aadhaar to curb the enrolment of multiple enrolments of the same person. 
• Amendment of clause (b) of section 14 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 specifying the “1st day of January, 1st day of April, 1st day of July and 1st day of October in a calendar year as qualifying dates about the preparation or revision of electoral rolls.” 
• Section 20 and section 60 of the RP Act, 1950 amended to substitute the word “wife” with “spouse” to make the statutes gender-neutral. 
• Section 160 of the RP Act, 1951 was amended to enable the requisition of premises that are needed or likely to be needed for the election process, such as polling stations, counting, storage of ballot boxes, voting machines and accommodation. For poling and security personnel for such period as notified under section 30 of the Act as mentioned earlier. 

The Bill also allows officials to request the number of people who are already on the electoral roll to ensure their entry into the electoral roll and identify one person’s registration for each of the constituencies. or more than once in one place.