NEW DELHI, Oct 23: The Election Commission of India (EC) is likely to announce a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the first week of November, beginning in phases with states heading for elections in 2026 and a few others.
On Wednesday, the EC held a high-level meeting with chief electoral officers (CEOs) from all states and union territories to review preparations, signalling that the formal announcement could come within the next few days.
A notification for the nationwide exercise is expected shortly, with the timeline and framework to be finalised next week, sources said. The revision will be conducted in two phases—one covering general states and another for high-altitude or geographically challenging regions such as Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and parts of the Northeast, where snowfall and severe winter conditions could hinder field operations.
The priority list includes electoral states such as West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry. As per officials, a standard three-month period will be allotted to complete the process—from form submission and draft roll publication to filing of claims, objections, and appeals—culminating in the final voter rolls by early or mid-February 2026.
Senior EC officials said that CEOs have held two days of consultations in Delhi, with Thursday marking the final session. The nationwide announcement is expected within two to three days.
The move follows the recent voter list cleanup in Bihar, carried out ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. The final electoral roll, published on September 30, recorded 7.42 crore voters, down from 7.89 crore before the revision, but reflecting a net increase of 17.87 lakh from the draft roll issued on August 1.
During the exercise, 65 lakh names were deleted due to deaths, migration, or duplication, while 21.53 lakh new voters were added. Another 3.66 lakh names were later removed, prompting the Supreme Court on October 7 to seek an explanation from the EC over the exclusions amid opposition allegations that genuine voters were being struck off without proper verification.
The Bihar Assembly elections are set to be held in two phases—on November 6 and 11—with counting scheduled for November 14.
Under the SIR, first ordered on June 24, all registered electors will have to fill enumeration forms to confirm their inclusion on the rolls. Voters enrolled after 2003, the year of Bihar’s last intensive revision, must submit documents verifying their date and place of birth to establish citizenship and eligibility.
The process includes form submission, draft list publication, claims and objections, appeals, and will end with the final publication of the rolls expected by February 2026, setting the stage for next year’s major electoral contests. (Agencies)
