The Election Commission has brought a significant relief to Kashmiri migrant voters by ending the Form-M process for migrants residing in Jammu and Udhampur. However, for migrants living outside these areas, the Form M will continue, albeit with a self-attestation certificate instead of a gazetted officer attestation. Special polling centers are slated to be established in all migrant areas across Jammu and Udhampur.

In a recently issued order, the Election Commission outlined plans to map out all 22 polling stations (21 in Jammu and 1 in Udhampur) into camps and areas. This strategic mapping aims to ensure that at least one special polling station is accessible in every area, facilitating smoother voting procedures for Kashmiri migrant voters.

The order further elaborated that if there are multiple polling stations within each zone, the zonal officer will delineate the intra-zonal jurisdiction of each polling station, considering factors like distance and ease of access for voters. Importantly, the terms and conditions of the scheme released on March 22, 2024, remain unchanged.

The Commission emphasized that self-verification of these forms may suffice, eliminating the need to seek a Gazetted Officer's verification for the certificate attached with Form-M. Nevertheless, voters at the special polling stations will still be required to present an EPIC (Electoral Photo Identity Card) or any alternative document prescribed by the Commission for identity verification.