New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced a significant facilitation measure under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Voters who receive notices during the exercise will not ordinarily have to visit election offices. Instead, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit their homes to collect and verify the required documents.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Election Commission in New Delhi, attended by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
BLOs to conduct house-to-house verification
According to the Commission, BLOs will visit the residences of individuals who have been issued notices during the SIR process and collect the documents required for verification. The documents will subsequently be uploaded on the ECINet platform.
The ECI has clarified that such voters will not normally be summoned for a personal hearing before the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). Hearings will be held only in exceptional cases and, as far as possible, through online mode.
If a hearing is considered necessary, the elector can also authorise any adult member of the family to appear on their behalf, the Commission said.
🔰A meeting of the Election Commission of India was held today at Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi.
🔰The following decisions were taken in the meeting:
➤ In case of any person to whom notice has been issued during the ongoing SIR, for being unmapped and logical discrepancies, BLOs… pic.twitter.com/kWK2OLM1KA
— PIB India (@PIB_India) September 26, 2026
What if a name is missing from the electoral roll?
The Commission has also clarified that any eligible person whose name has been left out during the SIR process can apply to the concerned Electoral Registration Officer for inclusion.
Chief Electoral Officers, District Election Officers and EROs have been directed to launch special enrolment drives to facilitate such applications.
The ECI has further asked District Election Officers to establish adequate help desks and special camps, particularly for people living in night shelters, labourers, poor and vulnerable sections and homeless citizens.
SIR order approved unanimously
The Commission reiterated that the order initiating SIR across all States and Union Territories was approved unanimously by the Election Commission.
ECI Director General (Media) Ashish Goyal said the Commission held a meeting in New Delhi and reiterated that the order issued on June 24 last year, beginning with Bihar, had the unanimous approval of the three-member Commission.
The SIR exercise has already been completed in 20 States and Union Territories, including Bihar and West Bengal, according to the Commission.
Delhi gets more time for claims and objections
Following a request from the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi, the ECI has extended the deadline for filing claims and objections until October 30. The deadline for disposal of notices, claims and objections has been extended until November 30, 2026.
The Commission also clarified that a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary was not related to any policy matter concerning the ECI or its IT division. It was connected with the work of an officer serving the Commission on deputation.
The latest decision is intended to make the verification process more accessible, particularly for voters who may face difficulties travelling to election offices or appearing personally before electoral authorities.
