EC extends SIR door-to-door voter verification deadline in Delhi and 3 states

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revised the schedule for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana and Punjab, giving Booth Level Officers (BLOs) additional time to complete door-to-door voter verification. While the field verification timeline has been extended, the Commission has kept the overall electoral roll revision process on track by adjusting only the intermediate deadlines.

The latest decision follows a similar revision announced a day earlier for Andhra Pradesh and Haryana. With the fresh changes, six states have received updated SIR schedules within two days after state election authorities sought more time to complete the verification exercise.

New schedule for Delhi and Karnataka

Under the revised calendar, house-to-house verification in Delhi and Karnataka will continue until August 8. Polling station rationalisation will also be completed by the same date.

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The draft electoral rolls will be published on August 17, after which voters can submit claims and objections until September 16. Once all applications are examined and disposed of, the final electoral rolls will be published on October 19.

Telangana and Punjab get revised timelines

For Telangana, Booth Level Officers have been given until August 3 to complete field verification. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 10, while the window for claims and objections will remain open until September 9. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be released on October 12, following the disposal of all applications by October 8.

Punjab has also received an extension, with door-to-door verification continuing until August 3. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 13, and voters can file claims and objections until September 12. The final electoral roll will be issued on October 12, after pending applications are cleared by October 8.

What has changed in the SIR schedule?

The revised calendar replaces the earlier Phase III schedule. Previously, Telangana and Punjab were expected to publish their draft electoral rolls on July 31, while Delhi and Karnataka were scheduled to do so on August 5.

Instead of postponing the entire revision exercise, the Election Commission has modified specific deadlines to provide more time for field verification while keeping the broader electoral roll update programme intact.

Why the revision matters

The Special Intensive Revision is being conducted in phases across the country to update electoral rolls through extensive field verification. As part of the exercise, Booth Level Officers visit households to verify voter information before draft electoral rolls are published for public scrutiny through the claims and objections process.

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Phase III of the revision covers 19 states and Union Territories, including Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Nagaland and Tripura.

Election officials said the revised schedules are intended to provide field staff with sufficient time to complete verification without disrupting the overall electoral roll revision programme ahead of future elections.

FAQs:

What is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls?

SIR is the Election Commission’s nationwide exercise to verify and update voter lists through door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers.

Why did the Election Commission extend the SIR voter verification deadline in Delhi and three states?

The EC extended the deadline after state election authorities sought more time to complete door-to-door voter verification without delaying the overall electoral roll revision process.