Voter List Revision in 12 States Announced in Phase 2, Says Election Commission

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced the beginning of the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters' list.

The press conference started at around 4:20 p.m., with officials outlining the next steps in updating electoral rolls to ensure accuracy and transparency ahead of upcoming elections.

• The poll body confirmed that the second phase of the SIR exercise will be conducted in 12 states and Union Territories. These include Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry, which are set to hold elections next year.
• The ECI recently concluded the SIR process in Bihar, where assembly elections are scheduled next month. The exercise became a major point of contention between the Congress and the BJP in the run-up to the polls in the state, which has 243 assembly constituencies.
• Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar said the SIR process is essential before every election, as political parties have been raising issues about the quality of the voter rolls. "SIR has already been done eight times from 1951 till 2004. Last SIR was done more than 21 years back in 2002-2004," CEC Gyanesh Kumar said.

He explained that several changes have occurred in the electoral rolls due to frequent migration, which has led to voters being registered at more than one place, non-removal of deleted voters, and even wrongful inclusion of foreigners. "Many changes in electoral rolls have occurred due to frequent migration, resulting in voters getting registered at more than one place, non-removal of deleted voters and wrongful inclusion of foreigner entry," Gyanesh Kumar said.

The Chief Election Commissioner officially announced the start of the second phase of SIR, confirming that the voter lists of all 12 states and Union Territories included in this round will be frozen starting tonight. "Voter list of 12 states and UTs that will go under SIR exercise will freeze tonight," he announced.

• Reiterating the need for the revision process, Gyanesh Kumar again said, "SIR has already been done eight times from 1951 till 2004. Last SIR was done more than 21 years back in 2002-2004."

The Election Commission stated that the SIR exercise aims to remove duplicate entries, correct inaccuracies, and ensure that the electoral rolls represent genuine voters, strengthening the credibility of the democratic process ahead of crucial state elections.

As part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Election Commission of India has outlined specific roles and responsibilities for booth-level officers (BLOs) and other electoral officials.

Responsibilities of Booth Level Officers (BLOs):

• Collect Form 6 and Declaration Form for the inclusion of new electors and assist in matching or linking voter information.
• Help electors fill out the Enumeration Form (EF), collect it, and submit it to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO).
• Visit the residence of each elector at least three times during the process.
• Encourage electors, especially urban voters and temporary migrants, to fill out the EF online.
• Identify and report deceased voters, permanently shifted voters, and those registered in multiple locations.
• No additional documents are required along with the EF during the enumeration phase.

Structure of Electoral Administration:

• Each polling station has around 1,000 electors.
• There is one Booth Level Officer (BLO) assigned to every polling station.
• Each Assembly Constituency consists of multiple polling stations.
• Every Assembly Constituency has one Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).
• The ERO, who is a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM)-level officer, is legally responsible for:
• Preparing the Draft Electoral Rolls
• Receiving and deciding on claims and objections
• Preparing and publishing the Final Electoral Rolls
• Each Tehsil has Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) to assist in the process.
• The District Magistrate (DM) hears the first appeal against any decision made by the ERO.
• The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State or Union Territory hears the second appeal against the decision of the District Magistrate.

  According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls will be conducted as per the following timeline:

  • Printing and Training: To be held from October 28 to November 3, 2025.
  • House-to-House Enumeration: BLOs will visit households between November 4 and December 4, 2025, to verify and collect voter details.
  • Draft Electoral Roll Publication: The draft rolls will be released on December 8, 2025.
  • Claims and Objections Period: Citizens can file claims or objections from December 9, 2025, to January 8, 2026.
  • Notice Phase: The notice period will continue from December 9, 2025, to January 31, 2026.
  • Final Electoral Roll Publication: The final voter list will be published on February 7, 2026.

  The second phase of the SIR will cover 12 states and Union Territories, namely: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

  The ECI recently completed the SIR process in poll-bound Bihar, where assembly elections are set to take place next month. The revision exercise in Bihar became a major political flashpoint between the Congress and the BJP, adding to the intensity of the upcoming state elections across its 243 assembly constituencies.