Annual Registration of Electors & Revision of Electoral Register

Revision of electoral registers by registering those who have newly become eligible to be registered and by deleting the names of those who have become ineligible is a task annually undertaken by the Commissioner of Elections. This work is done at the level of Electoral Districts.

For this activity, the Commissioner of Elections as a first step appoints his Assistant Commissioner of Elections who function at the level of Electoral Districts as Assistant Registering Officers of the respective Districts. They working under the supervision of District Secretaries, appoint enumerators, (a) to visit houses and distribute enumeration forms which are called “BC” Forms” that have to be filled up by chief occupants of households by entering the names of occupants to be registered and other specified particulars regarding them, (b) to collect filled up forms and (c) to submit the collected forms to Registering Officers with a certificate on each form to the effect that inclusion or exclusion have been made on such verification. Normally Grama Niladharis are appointed as enumerators for this work.

Those who have failed to submit the “BC Form” within the specified period, due to some reason, are given a further opportunity to apply for registration by submitting an application on a form referred to as the “UE Form”.

The next step is the preparation of two lists, by the enumerators, with the help of the information in “BC Form” at the District Offices. The first list, referred to as “A List” give the names recommended for deletion from the existing electoral registers. The second list referred to as “B List” gives the names recommended for inclusion in the new electoral registers. These lists are thereafter exhibited at the District Offices of the Department of Elections, Divisional Secretariats, Offices of the local authorities, Post offices and Grama Niladhari offices to enable the people to examine them and submit claims and objections relating to retention or entry of names in the electoral registers. Four deferent forms referred to as Forms A,B,C and D have been specified for making such claims and objections.

After the Registering Offices examine these claims and objections and decision are taken new electoral registers are prepared and certified.

Generally, the time schedule followed by the Department of Elections for annual revision of registrars is as follows:

• Issue of “BC” forms to households and collection of filled forms from households -  1st June to 31st July
• Checking of “BC” forms and action to rectify errors -  25th June to 31st August
• Receipt of appeals on “UE” forms -  15th July to 30th September
• Preparation of lists “A” and “B”         -  25th June to 21st September
• Exhibition of lists “A” and “B” -  1st October to 28th October
• Holding inquiries into claims and objections -  5th November to 30th November
• Preparation of electoral registers -  1st December to 21st December