Lucknow, February 9: In a significant move to enhance the inclusivity and empowerment of the voter list in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Riniwa has initiated a comprehensive campaign aimed at increasing the participation of eligible youth and women under the Special Revision-2026.
During a review meeting held via video conferencing on Sunday, Riniwa addressed sub-district electoral officers and officials from various departments, including Development, Health, Women Welfare, Secondary and Higher Education, the National Rural Livelihood Mission, and Urban Development.
The CEO emphasized that a considerable number of eligible youth aged 18 to 20 are still missing from the voter list. He urged all educational institutions—universities, colleges, medical, and engineering schools—to raise awareness about voting rights through voter literacy clubs and to ensure these students are registered as part of the campaign.
Riniwa instructed that assistant electoral registration officers should set up special camps in educational institutions to facilitate eligible youth in filling out Form-6, either online via the portal or mobile app, or offline through booth-level officers. He clarified that all individuals who turn 18 by January 1, 2026, must be registered, while those who will be 18 by October 1, 2026, can fill out advance Form-6.
The CEO noted that as of October 27, 2025, the ratio of women registered per thousand men was 877, which dropped to 824 in the electoral list published on January 6, 2026. This decline indicates that many women missed registration due to not filling out the necessary forms, especially newly married women who changed addresses. He directed that women from self-help groups associated with the National Rural Livelihood Mission, along with health department workers and anganwadi supervisors, should identify and assist adolescent girls and newly married women in completing Form-6.
He stated that active participation of women is crucial for strengthening democracy and advancing women’s empowerment. The CEO instructed all officials to conduct a special voter registration campaign over the next 15 days, promote it extensively through print, electronic, and social media, and provide adequate training to personnel assisting with Form-6 to ensure no eligible citizen is left out of the voter list.
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