The Election Commission of India (ECI) is preparing to roll out a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, mirroring the model currently underway in Bihar. This follows a recent Supreme Court endorsement of the SIR as a “constitutional mandate,” allowing the process to proceed despite opposition from political parties and civil society groups, who argue it may risk disenfranchising genuine voters.
The Supreme Court's ruling affirmed the ECI’s constitutional authority to undertake SIRs to maintain updated and accurate electoral rolls. The Court advised the Commission to consider widely accepted identity documents—such as Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards—for voter verification, while ultimately leaving the choice of documents to the Commission's discretion.
Each state will follow its last conducted intensive revision as the cut-off benchmark. For instance, Bihar will use its 2003 voter list as a baseline, while Delhi and Uttarakhand will refer to the 2008 and 2006 lists, respectively. Most states last conducted a similar exercise between 2002 and 2004.
The ECI has directed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) across all states and union territories to activate field-level operations and prepare for the SIR, with implementation potentially starting as early as next month.
This phased, nationwide rollout aims to update the electoral rolls ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in states such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Kerala. The revision will ensure the inclusion of all eligible voters as of January 1, 2026.
The process will involve door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs). All voters—including those already enrolled—will be required to fill out enumeration forms and provide proof of eligibility. The revision seeks to:
Add new eligible voters
Remove ineligible or duplicate entries
Identify and delete records of foreign nationals or illegal migrants through verification of place of birth
The initiative has sparked political debate, with several opposition parties alleging that the revision could be selectively implemented to suppress votes from marginalized communities. The ECI has strongly rejected these claims, asserting that the revision is necessary for cleansing the voter rolls and improving electoral integrity—particularly in the context of migration, urbanization, and national security concerns.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to revisit the matter on July 28, after which the ECI is expected to finalize its national rollout strategy.
The Special Intensive Revision is being positioned as a crucial measure to uphold the sanctity of India's electoral system and the principle of “one person, one vote.” As demographic changes and migration patterns continue to evolve, a thorough verification exercise is seen as essential to reinforcing voter trust, ensuring electoral accuracy, and deterring unlawful entries in the voter list.
The Election Commission of India is planning a countrywide update of the voter list to make sure only eligible citizens are included. This will involve officials visiting homes to verify voter details, adding new voters, and removing fake or ineligible names—including illegal migrants. The process, already started in Bihar, has been cleared by the Supreme Court, though some opposition parties fear it could lead to unfair voter removal. The goal is to keep elections fair and accurate.