Ranchi, August 30, 2026: The Jharkhand Election Department has stepped up efforts to register new and young voters after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with officials flagging 6,722 polling stations across the state where not a single Form-6 application has been received so far.
Ranchi accounts for the highest number of such polling stations, with 1,209 booths reporting zero Form-6 applications. Chief Electoral Officer K. Ravi Kumar has directed district election officials to conduct a focused review of these polling stations and accelerate the identification and registration of eligible young citizens.
Form-6 Applications Open Until September 15
Following publication of the draft electoral roll on August 5 under the SIR exercise, eligible new voters can apply for inclusion in the electoral roll through Form-6 along with the prescribed declaration.
Applications can be submitted both online and offline. The deadline for submitting Form-6 applications has been fixed for September 15, 2026.
Palamu and Hazaribagh Also Report High Number of Zero-Application Booths
The booth-wise review has highlighted significant gaps beyond Ranchi.
- Ranchi: 1,209 booths
- Palamu: 592 booths
- Hazaribagh: 572 booths
- Giridih: 416 booths
- Dhanbad: 392 booths
These polling stations have reportedly received zero Form-6 applications, prompting the Election Department to direct officials to monitor them closely.
5,046 Booths Have Received Five or Fewer Applications
The department has also identified a large number of polling stations where the number of applications remains very low.
Across Dhanbad, Giridih, Ranchi, Palamu and Hazaribagh, a total of 5,046 polling stations have received only one to five Form-6 applications.
The figures are:
- Dhanbad: 1,243 booths
- Giridih: 1,072 booths
- Ranchi: 981 booths
- Palamu: 936 booths
- Hazaribagh: 814 booths
Officials have been asked to examine the reasons for the low registration figures, particularly in areas with a significant population of eligible young voters.
Election Department Estimates Around 60 Applications Per Booth
K. Ravi Kumar said nearly two years have passed since the 2024 Assembly elections. Considering that around 4% of voters are estimated to shift residence every year, the department expects approximately 60 Form-6 applications per polling station.
Against this backdrop, polling stations reporting either zero or very few applications have emerged as a matter requiring special attention.
BLOs to Conduct Door-to-Door Verification
Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been directed to identify eligible new and young voters during the “home-to-roll” verification exercise.
Eligible citizens will be assisted in submitting Form-6 and the required declaration, after which the applications will be digitised within the prescribed timeline.
The Election Department also plans to conduct special voter-registration drives in schools and colleges to encourage eligible young people to enrol.
October 1 to Be the Qualifying Date
The Election Department said October 1, 2026, will be treated as the qualifying date for voter registration under the current exercise.
All eligible Indian citizens who have attained or will attain the age of 18 years by October 1, 2026 are to be considered for inclusion in the electoral roll as per the applicable process.
K. Ravi Kumar has directed district election officials to continuously review the registration process and ensure that there is no delay in processing Form-6 applications and declarations.
The Chief Electoral Officer also stressed that documents related to voter registration under the SIR exercise will remain important records for the future. Officials have therefore been instructed to ensure proper digitisation, preservation and disposal of applications strictly according to the prescribed rules.
