The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that a major exercise to update and clean up voter lists will begin this April. Known as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), this phase will cover 22 states and Union Territories, including major regions like Delhi, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
The SIR is a high-level verification process designed to ensure that electoral rolls are 100% accurate. Unlike regular updates, this involves intensive door-to-door verification by officials. Their primary job is to identify and remove “ghost” voters—those who have passed away or moved away from their registered addresses. They also work to delete duplicate entries where a single person might be registered in two different locations. Simultaneously, the process ensures that every eligible citizen who was previously left out is finally added to the list.
The ECI has already issued notices to the 22 remaining regions to begin preparatory work. Along with Delhi and Maharashtra, the list of states participating in this round includes Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and several North-Eastern states such as Manipur, Meghalaya, and Nagaland. This follows a previous round of the SIR that is currently finishing up in 12 other states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Interestingly, none of the 22 states starting the revision in April are scheduled to hold elections this year. The ECI’s goal is to maintain a “clean” and transparent database well in advance of any future polls. However, the process is under significant scrutiny. The Supreme Court of India is currently hearing petitions regarding the legality and methods used during these revisions. This judicial review follows concerns raised about the procedures in states like West Bengal, where the timeline was recently extended to ensure more comprehensive data verification.
Detailed schedules for the door-to-door visits in each state are expected to be released by local election authorities in the coming weeks.
