Indian elections set for an overhaul: What are the three new changes ECI has announced?

The Election Commission of India stated that these steps are aimed at streamlining electoral processes and improve interaction between voters and election officials.

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has introduced three new initiatives aimed at improving electoral roll accuracy and enhancing voter-related services, as per an official press release on Thursday. 

As part of the first initiative, the ECI will now obtain death registration data electronically from the Registrar General of India. According to the release, this step is in line with Rule 9 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 and Section 3(5)(b) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (as amended in 2023). The electronic sharing of data will allow Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to receive timely information about registered deaths. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will be able to verify this information during field visits without requiring a formal application under Form 7, the ECI stated.

These measures were discussed during the March 2025 Conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), which was held under the guidance of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and in the presence of Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The second initiative involves the issuance of standard photo identity cards to all BLOs. These officers are appointed by the EROs under Section 13B(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The photo identification will help citizens recognise BLOs during voter verification and registration exercises, as the Commission noted the importance of BLOs being clearly identifiable during house-to-house visits. 

The third measure focuses on redesigning the Voter Information Slips (VIS) to make them easier to use. The serial number and part number of the voter will now appear in a larger font size to help voters identify their polling stations and assist polling officials in locating names in the electoral roll, the release added.
The Commission stated that these steps are part of ongoing efforts to streamline electoral processes and improve interaction between voters and election officials.