EC may begin pan-India SIR in phases, starting with states headed for elections in 2026

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) is preparing to launch a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in phases, starting with states where Assembly elections are scheduled next year, senior officials said. The large-scale exercise aims to update and clean up voter lists across the country.

The initial phase of the SIR is expected to cover Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, where Assembly polls are due in 2026, along with a few other states. However, the EC will not conduct the exercise in states currently holding or preparing for local body elections, as the administrative machinery is occupied with those polls.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar confirmed that preparations are underway for the countrywide revision. “Work is in progress to launch the SIR of electoral rolls in all states, and a final decision on its rollout will be taken by the Commission,” Kumar said during a press conference announcing the Bihar Assembly elections. He recalled that the EC had first unveiled its plan for a pan-India SIR on June 24, when the exercise was initiated in Bihar.

In Bihar, the cleanup has already concluded, with the final voters’ list containing 7.42 crore names published on September 30. The Bihar SIR had used the 2003 voter list as its base document, a model likely to be followed in other states, where earlier rolls will serve as reference points. Most states last conducted an SIR between 2002 and 2004, and officials said mapping of current electors to those earlier records is nearly complete in several regions. Election Commission officials noted that the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) were directed earlier this month to prepare for the rollout within 10 to 15 days, with September 30 set as the readiness deadline. CEOs have also been asked to keep the most recent electoral rolls, published after the last SIR, readily available. Many states, including Delhi and Uttarakhand, have already uploaded their old voter lists—Delhi’s 2008 roll and Uttarakhand’s 2006 roll—on their official websites.

The upcoming revision exercise holds particular importance amid ongoing efforts in several states to identify and remove illegal foreign migrants, particularly from Bangladesh and Myanmar. Officials said verifying voters’ places of birth will form a key component of the SIR, ensuring that only eligible Indian citizens remain on the rolls.

The EC’s top leadership, including all three commissioners, is expected to meet soon to finalise the schedule for the phased rollout across states.