EC to launch nationwide voter list cleanup covering 10–15 states, including Kerala

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) is preparing to launch the first phase of the all-India Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls next week, beginning with around 10 to 15 states, officials said on Saturday.

States such as Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and West Bengal, which are due for assembly elections in 2026, will be among the first to undergo the voter list cleanup exercise. The EC is expected to formally announce the first phase of the SIR by the middle of next week.

Officials clarified that the SIR will not be conducted in states currently holding or preparing for local body elections, as poll staff are engaged in those activities. These states will be included in subsequent phases of the SIR.

The revision aims to update electoral rolls comprehensively by verifying voter details and removing ineligible entries, including those of foreign illegal migrants, through checks on place of birth.

In Bihar, where assembly elections will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11, the SIR process has already concluded, and the final voter list, comprising nearly 7.42 crore names, was published on September 30. Counting of votes will be held on November 14.

The Commission has held two national conferences with Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) to finalise the rollout roadmap. Several states have already published their voter lists from the last intensive revision on their official CEO websites.

For instance, Delhi’s CEO website displays the 2008 voter list, the year of its last SIR, while Uttarakhand has uploaded the 2006 roll. The EC will treat the year of each state’s last SIR as the baseline for the current cleanup, similar to how Bihar used its 2003 list as the reference point.

Most states conducted their last intensive revision between 2002 and 2004, and mapping of current electors to the earlier rolls is nearly complete.

The EC’s nationwide SIR comes amid heightened scrutiny over illegal migration in several states, including those bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar. Officials said the revision is part of a broader effort to ensure accuracy, transparency, and integrity in India’s electoral database.

The Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a large-scale verification drive aimed at cleansing and updating the national electoral roll. Under the initiative, voter lists are examined for duplicate, deceased, or ineligible entries, and new eligible voters are added.

The EC will first conduct the SIR in states where administrative capacity and timelines permit, particularly those heading for major elections next year. Sources indicated that the Commission’s focus will also include identifying and removing entries of non-citizens through verification of place-of-birth records.

Two rounds of discussions with state Chief Electoral Officers have already been completed to finalise the operational plan. The Commission’s data shows that many states have retained voter rolls dating back to their last SIRs, most of which were conducted over two decades ago.

In states such as Delhi and Uttarakhand, where the last revisions took place in 2008 and 2006 respectively, officials have now digitised those lists for comparison. This historical reference will help the EC verify the growth and movement of voters over the years.

The upcoming all-India SIR marks one of the most extensive voter roll verification exercises since the early 2000s and is expected to enhance the credibility of India’s electoral process ahead of multiple state and national elections.
(With PTI inputs)