EC Announces SIR Across 12 States And UTs, Including 2026 Poll-Bound Regions

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday (27 October) announced a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across 12 states and Union Territories, including all poll-bound regions for 2026 such as Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said this will mark the second phase of the SIR after its successful implementation in Bihar. “The SIR will ensure no eligible elector is left out and no ineligible elector is included in poll rolls,” he said.

Training for polling officials under Phase II will begin on Tuesday (28 October), with each officer required to visit every household three times to prevent bogus voter entries.

Kumar added that Aadhaar cards can be used for voter identification and highlighted that the first phase in Bihar saw significant participation. “7.5 crore people participated in the SIR in Bihar… all stakeholders worked to refine the voter list and zero appeals have been made against Phase 1,” he stated.

The CEC said the large-scale exercise aims to address challenges such as migration, multiple registrations, non-removal of deceased voters, and wrongful inclusion of foreigners, ensuring cleaner and more accurate electoral rolls.

SIRs have been conducted eight times since Independence, with the last nationwide revision held between 2002 and 2004.

The ECI’s move is seen as a major step to strengthen the electoral process ahead of key assembly elections in 2026, improving transparency and public trust in voter registration systems.

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