New polling station to be added across Delhi after SIR ends

NEW DELHI: New polling stations are probable to be went on throughout Delhi after a rationalisation exercise being undertaken as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, election authorities noted on Friday.

Key points

• The period for filing claims and objections will run from August 31 to September 30, with authorities required to dispose of them by October 29.
• This is to ensure that no polling station has more than 1, 200 electors, the revised ceiling prescribed by the Election Commission to reduce queues and improve facilities for voters.
• According to authorities, pre-SIR data indicates that a number of existing polling stations have more than 1, 200 electors.
• The rationalisation is being carried out using Delhi's pre-SIR electoral database.
• Once approved, voters will be tagged to the newly created polling stations through the election IT system, authorities stated.

In practice, the earlier limit was 1, 500. According to authorities, pre-SIR data indicates that a number of existing polling stations have more than 1, 200 electors. District election officers have consequently submitted proposals to revise the distribution of voters and create extra stations wherever required.

Once approved, voters will be tagged to the newly created polling stations through the election IT system, authorities stated. Delhi at present has 13, 033 polling stations, spread throughout around 3, 000 polling locations in 13 districts.

As far as feasible, remain within a two-kilometre radius of the existing ones, authorities stated the new polling stations or locations will. The rationalisation is being carried out using Delhi's pre-SIR electoral database. It contained around 1.45 crore electors when the rolls were frozen on June 16.

Since of technical work involved in polling-station rationalisation, the SIR timetable stands revised. While the final roll is scheduled for November 4, instead of the earlier October 27 deadline, the draft electoral roll will now be published on August 31.

Notably, the period for filing claims and objections will run from August 31 to September 30, with authorities required to dispose of them by October 29. The SIR exercise began on June 30. Timetable stands revised, final rolls on Nov 4.

For context, the rationalisation is being carried out using Delhi's pre-SIR electoral database. It contained around 1.45 cr electors when the rolls were frozen on June 16. Since of technical work, the SIR timetable stands revised. While the final roll is scheduled for November 4, the draft roll will now be published on August 31.

In short, new polling station to be added across Delhi after SIR ends is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.