The Bombay High Court has clarified that a person who turns 18 does not automatically gain the right to vote until the next scheduled revision of the electoral roll. The court cautioned that allowing every newly eligible citizen to seek immediate enrollment would “open the floodgates” and overwhelm election authorities with verification work.

A division bench of Justices Riyaz Chagla and Farhan Dubash was hearing a plea by 18-year-old Rupika Singh, whose voter registration application had been rejected since she attained majority after the cut-off date of October 1, 2024 —the reference date for the electoral roll used in the November 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections .

The bench drew a distinction between the freedom to vote and the right to vote , citing a Supreme Court prec

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