The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, is a set of statutory rules that provides the detailed procedural framework for the preparation and maintenance of electoral rolls in India. It was created by the Central Government under the powers conferred by Section 28 of its parent legislation, the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (43 of 1950). The Rules were published on November 10, 1960, and came into force on January 1, 1961, superseding the earlier Representation of the People (Preparation of Electoral Rolls) Rules, 1956. The purpose was to translate the constitutional principles of universal adult suffrage (Article 326) and a single, non-discriminatory electoral roll (Article 325) into a practical, field-level administration process.
The Rules detail how the electoral roll, or 'roll,' for a constituency is prepared, divided into parts, and how names are arranged, typically by house number (Rule 6). The mechanism centers on the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), who is responsible for receiving applications, considering claims, and maintaining the roll. Key provisions govern the process of inclusion, correction, and deletion of names, which are initiated through public scrutiny after the draft roll is published (Rule 10). For instance, a person can apply for inclusion of their name, and the ERO can include names inadvertently omitted under Rule 21. The ERO is also granted access to registers like those for births and deaths under Rule 9 to verify details.
The Rules are directly connected to the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and support the overall control of elections vested in the Election Commission of India (Article 324). A significant recent change was the inclusion of provisions for "overseas electors" under Rule 8-B, following the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2010 (36 of 2010). While the core mechanism of claims and objections remains, the Rules have been amended to incorporate modern procedures, such as the use of Form 6B for furnishing Aadhaar information for authentication.