SIR 2025: Guidelines by ECI

The Election Commission of India (‘ECI’) has initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 12 States and Union Territories. This step aims to update the electoral rolls, ensuring inclusion of eligible citizens and removal of ineligible entries.

The SIR will be conducted in the following:

Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Chhattisgarh
Goa
Gujarat
Kerala
Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh
Puducherry
Rajasthan
Tamil Nadu
Uttar Pradesh
West Bengal

The qualifying date for inclusion in the electoral roll is 1-1-2026. Any citizen who turns 18 years old on or before this date is eligible to be enrolled.

What is SIR

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Roll is a focused, large-scale voter verification and roll updating exercise conducted by the ECI. The goal of SIR is to ensure that the electoral rolls are accurate, inclusive, and up to date before major elections.

It is designed to:

Include new eligible voters (especially those turning 18 by 1-1-2026)
Remove ineligible entries (such as deceased, duplicate, or shifted voters)
Correct existing voter details to ensure accuracy

The Commission refers to its earlier order dated 24.06.2025. SIR is conducted under the following legal provisions:

Article 324 of the Constitution of India
Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950
Registration of Electors Rules, 1960

SIR Timeline:

Activity	Date
Start of Revision Activities	28-10-2025
Form Distribution Begins	4-11-2025
House-to-House Enumeration Ends	4-12-2025
Draft Roll Publication	9-12-2025
Claims & Objections Period	9-12-2025 — 8-1-2026
Final Roll Publication	7-2-2026
Qualifying Date for Inclusion	1-1-2026

Who Should Participate

Citizens who:

○ Turned 18 on or before 1-1-2026

○ Changed residence

○ Found errors in their voter details

○ Wish to delete entries of deceased or ineligible voters

Key Guidelines of SIR 2025:

Training (28-10-2025 to 3-11-2025)

The ECI will train Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) and Nodal Officers on new IT systems and protocols.
Modules of ECINet, including BLO and Elector interfaces, will be explained to CEO, District Election Officer (DEO), Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO).
Orientation programs will cover digital workflows, data validation, and error handling.
Workshops for Booth Level Agents (BLAs) will focus on their role in assisting voters and verifying entries during SIR.

Rationalization, Re-serialisation and Formation of sections (by 4-12-2025)

EROs will assess the need for polling stations based on House-to-House Enumeration data.
Each polling station will ideally serve up to 1200 electors.
Any increase in this limit requires prior approval from ECI.
Overlaps between polling stations will be avoided to ensure equitable voter distribution.
After surveys, new polling station requirements will be communicated to the DEO.
Upon ECI approval, DEOs will finalize and verify new locations, which will be updated in ECINet.
Newly created polling stations will be displayed on the ECINet dashboard.

Standardization of Addresses

Electors will be arranged sequentially by house number.
BLOs will ensure uniform and complete address entries during enumeration.
Addresses will include house number, street/locality, village/town, and PIN code.
EROs will group electors from the same building or tower into one section for feasibility.

House-to-House Enumeration ((04-11-2025 to 04-12-2025))

BLOs will carry ID, SIR kit bag, and pre-printed Enumeration Forms.
Forms will be distributed to each household for completion.
Locked or closed houses will be visited up to three times.
BLOs will visit each household to verify existing entries and identify new eligible voters.
Existing electors will duly submit their forms.
BLO will visit houses to collect forms and attached documents.
Online submissions will also be verified by BLO.
All these will be thereafter submitted by BLO to ERO/AERO.

Publication of Draft Roll (9-12-2025)

ERO will prepare the draft rolls using Form 5
Existing and verified elector’s names a will be included in the draft roll.
Non- submissions will automatically be excluded from the list.
Those unable to submit form within time will file submissions through Form 6.
Names of members of judiciary, public representatives, holders of declared offices and personalities from fields of arts, culture, journalism, sports and public services already flagged in electoral database will be included in Draft Roll
EROs will invite advance applications for the qualifying date of 01-01-2026.

Period for Claims and Objections (09-12-2025 to 08-01-2026)

After publication of the Draft Electoral Rolls, ERO/AERO will:

○ Scrutinize eligibility of proposed electors.

○ Conduct field inquiries if eligibility is doubtful.

○ Issue notices to electors whose inclusion is questioned.
BLOs will assist electors in completing Form 6 or Declaration Forms if enumeration data is missing or incomplete.

Display of List of Claims and Objections

ERO will publish lists in Forms 9, 10, 11, 11A, and 11B.
Display lists at notice boards and ERO offices daily.
The lists will include:

○ Names of applicants and objectors.

○ Details of claims and objections received.
Political parties will be informed and given access to these lists.

Appeals

Appeals against ERO decisions under Section 24(a) and 24(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, will be heard by the CEO or a designated appellate authority as per Rule 27 of the Registration of Electors Rules.
All appeals will be resolved promptly to prevent delays in the final publication of electoral rolls.

Supervision and Checks

BLO Supervisors will:

○ Monitor BLO work quality.

○ Conduct random checks on Enumeration Forms.
ERO will:

○ Hold review meetings with AEROs and Supervisors.

○ Verify disposal of claims and objections.
DEO will:

○ Ensure compliance with timelines.

○ Submit progress reports to CEOs.

Engagement with Political Parties and Sharing of Electoral Rolls

CEOs and DEOs will engage with recognized political parties through regular meetings and briefings.
Draft and final electoral rolls will be shared in PDF format, and updates on claims and objections will be communicated.
Political parties can appoint BLAs to assist in verification and monitoring.
The final rolls will also be uploaded on official websites for transparency.

Schedule of Press Notes and Advertisements

Press notes will be issued at key stages of the SIR process, such as the start of enumeration, publication of draft rolls, and final roll release.
Advertisements will be published in newspapers and other media to inform citizens about timelines, procedures for claims and objections, and their rights.
DEOs will ensure proper dissemination of information to reach all sections of the population.

Preparation of Electoral Roll at the Time of Final Publication (Before 7-2-2026)

EROs will ensure that all verified entries are included and that health checks for duplication, completeness, and accuracy are completed.
The final roll will incorporate all changes made during the SIR process and will be approved by the Commission before release.

Preparation of Electoral Roll During Elections

The final roll prepared during SIR will serve as the base roll for elections.
It will include all verified additions, deletions, and corrections.
Any further changes during the election period will follow ECI guidelines, and the rolls will be frozen as per the election schedule to maintain integrity.

Key Additions to SIR 2025

Non-returned Enumeration Forms:
Aadhaar Guidelines:
Forms to be Used:
No Document Collection During Enumeration
Post-Draft Roll Notices:
Reference to Past Revisions:
Form Distribution by BLOs:
Advance Applications:

The SIR guidelines help citizens in 12 selected states and UTs verify, correct, or update their voter details ahead of elections. It ensures that new voters are added, outdated entries are removed, and polling stations are rationalized for better access. Through house-to-house verification and public roll display, voters can actively confirm their eligibility and participate in a clean, inclusive electoral process.

SCC Times

SIR 2025: Electoral Roll Revision Guidelines for 12 States and UTs