ECI's Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls Being Conducted in Phases with Multiple Safeguards to Protect Eligible Voters

Key Highlights:

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in phases across the country.
• The primary objective is to ensure accurate, up-to-date electoral rolls, free of ineligible or duplicate entries, while including all eligible electors.
• The process involves house-to-house enumeration by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), publication of draft rolls, and a period for claims and objections.
• Deletions are carried out only after due verification for reasons like death, permanent shifting, duplicate entries, or untraceable electors.
• The Supreme Court has upheld the SIR exercise as being within the statutory mandate of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Article 324.

Detailed Insights:

• The SIR is being implemented in three phases, covering all States and Union Territories.
• Phase I commenced in Bihar for the 2025 State Legislative Assembly elections.
• Phase II covered nine States and three Union Territories from October 2025 to April 2026.
• Phase III is currently underway or proposed for the remaining States/UTs, including the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
• Safeguards include prior intimation and multiple door-to-door visits by BLOs before an elector is deemed untraceable.
• Deletions are made only after recording reasons in the prescribed format and following the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
• A statutory period is provided for filing claims and objections using Forms 6, 7, and 8 after the publication of draft electoral rolls.
• Provisions for appeal are available before the District Magistrate or designated appellate authority and further to the Chief Electoral Officer.
• Booth Level Agents (BLAs), nominated by political parties, are deployed to verify entries and flag discrepancies.
• ECI implements internal quality checks, including cross-verification by supervisory officers and random sample audits of deleted entries.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A phased, comprehensive exercise by the ECI to update and purify electoral rolls.
• Booth Level Officer (BLO): A local government official appointed by the ECI responsible for house-to-house enumeration and electoral roll management.
• Representation of the People Act, 1950: The Indian legislation governing the preparation and revision of electoral rolls and the delimitation of constituencies.
• Article 324: A constitutional provision empowering the ECI with the superintendence, direction, and control of elections.