Electoral rolls

The electoral roll is the list of persons entitled to vote in a constituency, prepared and revised by the Election Commission through Electoral Registration Officers under the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Revision comes in two forms: a summary revision, which invites claims and objections against the existing roll, and an intensive revision, in which enumerators verify every entry door-to-door and the roll is rebuilt from scratch.

The distinction matters because it decides who carries the burden of proof. Summary revision assumes an existing elector is entitled to remain listed unless someone objects; intensive revision asks each elector to establish eligibility afresh. Intensive revisions were routine until the 1990s and were phased out as rolls were computerised, which is why their return is contested rather than routine.