Election Commission to meet state CEOs to discuss nationwide SIR rollout

The objective of the meeting is to take a final decision on whether to conduct the SIR simultaneously across the country later this year or in early 2026

The Election Commission of India will hold a meeting with chief electoral officers (CEOs) from all states and union territories on September 10 in the Capital to discuss a potential nationwide rollout of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The meeting will assess preparedness, administrative capacity, and documentation protocols, officials said.

The September 10 meeting is the third such interaction between the Commission and state-level election authorities since Gyanesh Kumar took over as CEC (FILE)

The Commission has directed all state CEOs to submit a detailed presentation covering ten key parameters for the upcoming meeting. These include the number of existing electors in the state, data and timelines from the last SIR conducted, status of digitisation of voter rolls, availability and training of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and the current structure and rationalisation plan for polling stations.

The objective of the meeting is to take a final decision on whether to conduct the SIR simultaneously across the country later this year or in early 2026, officials speaking on the condition of anonymity told HT.

The September 10 meeting is the third such interaction between the Commission and state-level election authorities since Gyanesh Kumar took over as chief election commissioner (CEC) in February. It comes amid the ongoing SIR exercise in Bihar, which is scheduled to conclude on September 30. The Bihar revision has already seen house-to-house verification, form submissions, and the addition of a declaration requirement for new or shifting voters to establish place and date of birth.

Officials familiar with the planning process said the meeting will also review challenges encountered in Bihar, including documentation gaps, the volume of objections received, and software or logistics issues encountered during field operations. States have been asked to submit inputs on acceptable documentary proof for citizenship verification, especially in cases involving persons born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, or whose parents’ place of birth is under question.

The June 24 order issued by the Commission in connection with Bihar made reference to its intent to carry out a similar exercise nationwide in order to protect the integrity of the electoral rolls. However, no formal date has been notified so far for national implementation.

Officials cited above said the Commission expects to finalise both the “scope and timeline” of the nationwide SIR soon after the meeting. Until then, no formal direction will be issued to states outside Bihar, where the ongoing revision process continues under the schedule notified earlier.

The timing of the meeting is seen as significant given the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry in 2026. Officials said the Commission is aiming to finalise a uniform protocol and timeline that could be applied across all states, subject to local administrative capacity. They also confirmed that the use of additional declaration forms and document verification procedures, as tested in Bihar, would be evaluated for broader applicability.

The poll body has faced questions from Opposition parties and civil society groups over the design and potential implications of the SIR process, especially regarding the exclusion of voters due to lack of documentation. Officials said the Commission will brief all CEOs on legal safeguards, Supreme Court directions, and standard operating procedures to ensure that no eligible citizen is removed without due process.

Preparations for the meeting include review of existing roll quality indicators, technical platform readiness, and field officer deployment status. ECI will also gather suggestions from states on further improving enumeration and public communication.