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ECI’s Nationwide SIR of Electoral Rolls in 12 States
The Election Commission of India (ECI) this week announced the commencement of Phase 2 of its nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, covering 12 states and Union Territories. The process is part of a broad clean-up and update of the voter list ahead of a number of upcoming state polls and is arguably the most significant such exercise since India’s last major revision more than two decades ago.
Scope, states and schedule
The 12 states and UTs included in this round are: Andaman & Nicobar Islands; Chhattisgarh; Goa; Gujarat; Kerala; Lakshadweep; Madhya Pradesh; Puducherry; Rajasthan; Tamil Nadu; Uttar Pradesh; and West Bengal. The ECI has specified key dates for the exercise:
- The preparation and training phase begins 28 October to 3 November 2025.
- Door-to-door enumeration by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) is scheduled from 4 November to 4 December 2025.
- The draft electoral rolls will be published on 9 December 2025, followed by a period for claims and objections from 9 December 2025 to 8 January 2026.
- Final decisions on those claims will be made by 31 January 2026, and the final updated voter list will be published on 7 February 2026.
The ECI emphasises that this SIR exercise is intended to ensure “no eligible elector is left out and no ineligible elector is included” in the poll rolls. Importantly, the last nationwide SIR of this magnitude was conducted in 2002-04, making this the ninth such exercise since India’s independence.
What is being done and why
Under the SIR, BLOs will visit every household in the relevant constituencies of the selected states/UTs, distribute enumeration forms, collect responses, verify the eligibility of voters (age, residence, citizenship, etc.), and remove entries that are duplicates, deceased, or otherwise invalid. For instance, the manual on electoral rolls emphasises the need to ascertain “ordinary residence”, citizenship and other criteria in registration.
The push for the SIR stems from a recognition that India’s electoral rolls have become outdated in many‐parts: migration, urbanisation, movement of voters, deaths, duplicate registrations and non-removal of ineligible entries all combine to degrade the accuracy and reliability of the lists. By carrying out the SIR, the ECI aims to refresh and rationalise the voter list, strengthen the integrity of the electoral process and bolster public confidence in upcoming elections.
Significance and political context
The timing of the SIR is notable. Several of the states included in Phase 2 (such as Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala) are scheduled for legislative assembly elections in 2026. Thus, the revision of the voter list now directly relates to the legitimacy and preparedness of electoral contests in those states.
Moreover, the exercise has become a point of political discourse. Critics and opposition voices allege that the exercise could be used to disenfranchise voters or skew representation; for example, some have described the SIR as a “hidden” step towards a broader citizen-registration exercise such as the Citizenship Amendment Act/National Register of Citizens (NRC) debate. The ECI maintains that the SIR is purely statutory and administrative, aimed at clean rolls, and not linked to any citizenship or register-of-citizens exercise.
Implications for voters
For the ordinary voter in the states under the SIR, the exercise offers both opportunity and responsibility:
- Residents must ensure their names are present in the draft list when it is published, and submit claims or objections if there are errors.
- Applications for registration (Form 6) or corrections (Form 8) must be submitted via appropriate officers (Electoral Registration Officers, Booth Level Officers) or by e-filing where available.
- Since enumeration is door-to-door, voters should cooperate with BLOs, fill out forms correctly, and provide documentation of age, residence, etc., where required.
- Because the final list is to be published on 7 February 2026, any eligible new electors (turned 18, moved residence, etc.) should ensure they are included in time.
Challenges and considerations
Despite the best intentions, the SIR process faces practical and political hurdles:
- The scale of the exercise is enormous. Covering millions of households across entire states means logistical, human-resource and training challenges.
- Ensuring uniformity of standards across states and giving adequate training to BLOs and other election officials is critical.
- Political trust: With opposition parties raising concerns of exclusion or manipulation, the ECI must maintain transparency and open grievance mechanisms to preserve legitimacy.
- Documentation issues: Especially for marginalised or mobile populations (migrants, the homeless, informal dwellers), proof of residence and age may be tricky. The ECI has clarified that Aadhaar alone does not define citizenship, though it may be used for identity proof in the SIR.
Conclusion
The launch of Phase 2 of the SIR by the Election Commission of India marks a major step in the refreshment of India’s electoral infrastructure. By updating voter rolls in 12 states and UTs, the ECI is aiming to ensure greater accuracy, fairness and inclusivity in the democratic process. While the exercise is administrative in nature, the political stakes are high, given upcoming elections in several covered states. For citizens, this moment is both a reminder and an opportunity: ensuring your voter status is correct, eligible and ready for exercise is now more important than ever.
As the process unfolds over the coming months, all eyes will be on how well the door-to-door enumeration is conducted, how transparent and fair the claims and objections process is, and finally how the updated rolls reflect the goal of no eligible voter left behind, and no ineligible entry retained.
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