As EC rolls out voter list in West Bengal, here’s what to do if you’re name is under scrutiny   

Q. How can you check the electoral list today and how do you know if you are “under adjudication”?

Similar to the draft list published in December last year, this roll can be accessed in two ways, wherein can verify their status both online and offline. According to EC sources, once published, the list will be available on its official website (eci.gov.in), the State Chief Electoral Officer’s website (ceowestbengal.wb.gov.in), and the ECI Net app. By entering the name and EPIC number (Voter ID number) on the designated website or app, voters can check the list. If the name has been verified and no issues are found, it will appear without any category marker. If the name is yet to be verified, it will be marked as “Under Adjudication”; and if a name has been deleted, it will be marked as “Deleted”.

A senior election official said that the list can also be accessed via the websites of District Election Officers (DEO) using the same method.

For those preferring offline methods, can visit their Booth Level Officers (BLO) office where they will be provided with hard copies of the rolls.

The CEO’s office will also provide soft copies of the list to representatives of the state’s eight recognised political parties.

District authorities will also distribute hard copies to the Booth Level Agents of these political parties.

Q. What does it mean if your name is currently “under adjudication”?

If you’ve found yourself on the list of 60 lakh voters currently under review by district judges in West Bengal, it means your application is being legally scrutinised. This “under adjudication” status stems from “logical discrepancies”, including data mismatches or potential duplicates, flagged during the SIR process.

Q. Can you vote if you aren’t on the roll today?

If you find your name is missing on the roll today, you can check the supplementary list published later. You can verify your status on the ECI ‘Electoral Search’ portal. Additionally, you can submit Form 6 and enroll as a new voter if your name has been deleted. If your name is “Under adjudication”, you may be added to a supplementary list after judicial scrutiny.

Q. Is there a timeframe for the district judges to complete the adjudication process?

The Supreme Court has clarified that the February 28 roll is not final. Adjudication will continue post this date to ensure no eligible voter is disenfranchised, said EC officials. Cleared names will be added to supplementary electoral rolls in phases until the last date of nominations for the upcoming polls.

Q. What is the process that district judges follow when reviewing and adjudicating voter claims?

To ensure the judicial officer clears your “adjudication” status, you may have to provide original documents for physical verification. According to sources, while the documents already uploaded and available with EROs will be verified by judges to update the status of application, in a few cases a voter may have to physically appear with the documents.

Q. What are the documents required to clear adjudication status?

The Supreme Court has limited the acceptable evidence to 13 specific documents for SIR. Key proofs include Aadhaar card, Class 10 pass certificates, and admit cards (typically paired with a pass certificate for parentage mapping). Judicial officers are required to record detailed reasons for every acceptance or rejection, said officials.

Q. If a district judge does not clear your name or rejects inclusion, what options are you left with?

Submit a fresh application using Form 6. You can do this online via the official portal or visit your local election office in person. Ensure you have valid identity and address proofs ready to upload or attach.

Q. How many judicial officers and judges are involved in the process?

The process initially began with 270-280 judicial officers. To speed up the process, the Supreme Court authorised the Calcutta High Court to rope in 200 additional judicial officers from neighbouring Odisha and Jharkhand.

Q. When will elections be announced in Bengal ?

ECI has not yet officially announced the dates. However, the formal schedule is likely to be released in the first or second week of March.