How to add your name to the voter list during SIR?

Booth Level Officer (BLO) briefs students about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, in Bikaner. (Courtesy: PTI photo)

The Election Commission of India, on November 4, initiated Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in 9 states and 3 Union Territories (UT) which is aimed to ensure electoral rolls are updated and accurate. This came after the successful completion of the first phase in Bihar wherein over 68 lakh names were deleted from electoral rolls.

The large-scale verification exercise, undertaken by EC, involves house-to-house enumeration, pre-filled forms, online submissions as well as fresh verification of old voter data.

The Election Commission had first outlined its plan to hold SIR in the country in its June 24 order, beginning the exercise with Bihar in view of the Assembly polls. It later rolled out the schedule for nine states and three Union Territories, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

With elections slated in at least five states and Union Territories in 2026, the Election Commission aims to ensure the voter rolls are transparent and accurate.

If a person's name is missing from the draft voters roll, they need to file Form 6 between December 9, 2025 and January 8, 2026. In case somebody's name is deleted, they can appeal within 15 days. They will have to first go to the District Magistrate and then to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) if need arises.

The Election Commission is overhauling the voter list after nearly 20 years of errors piling up. If one doesn't fill out the form, verify details, or meet the deadlines, their name may be left out of the draft or final rolls — which could prevent the person from voting in the upcoming elections.

If case a person's name or that of their parents/grandparents doesn't appear in the 2002 or 2003 voter rolls, they can still submit the Enumeration Form. However, the Election Commission’s district office will issue a notice and schedule a hearing. At this hearing, they must produce any one of the ten documents approved by the EC.

The SIR aims at ensuring that "no eligible citizen is left out while no ineligible person is included in the Electoral Roll".