ECI SIR: BLOs to Visit Homes from Nov 4, Know the Complete Process of Special Intensive Revision

ECI SIR: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) for 12 states. The most crucial phase of this process is set to begin on November 4th and will continue until December 4th. During this one-month period, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit every household to verify and update the voter list in a process known as ‘House to House Enumeration’.

How will the Enumeration Process work?

In this month-long drive, BLOs will go door-to-door to verify voter information. For those whose names were on the voter list during the last SIR in 2002, BLOs will trace them at their registered addresses using the Election Commission’s list.

• Information Verification: BLOs will visit homes with the commission’s list to confirm if the registered voters still reside there.
• Migrated Voters: If a voter has moved to a different location, efforts will be made to trace them at their new address to keep their name on the list.
• New Additions: Family members whose names were added to the voter list after the 2002 SIR will also be linked to the original family records.
• Multiple Visits: If a voter is not found during the first visit, the BLO will attempt to visit the house at least two more times, making a total of three visits.
• No Documents Required: The commission has clearly stated that voters will not be required to submit any documents during this phase.

Online Facility and Draft Roll Publication

An online link is also being provided for residents of urban areas and temporary migrant voters (e.g., those registered in West Bengal but working in other states). They will not need to submit any new documents, only a linking document proving that their or their parents’ names were in the old SIR.

After this process is completed, the draft electoral roll will be published on December 9th. Following this, the period for claims and objections will run from December 9th to January 8th.

• Name Addition: Individuals whose names are not on the list can apply for inclusion by filling out Form 6.
• Objections: Objections can be filed to remove the names of bogus voters from the list.

Documents for New Voters

New voters, whose names or their parents’ names were not in any previous SIR list, will need to submit any one of 12 specified documents for registration. While Bihar previously had 11 documents, the Aadhaar card has now been accepted as the 12th identity document following a Supreme Court directive.

Final Roll and Commission’s Response

The final electoral roll will be published on February 7th, 2026. It is noteworthy that the West Bengal assembly elections are likely to be announced in February 2026.

Responding to journalists’ questions, the Chief Election Commissioner stated that maintaining law and order is the constitutional duty of the state government. There are no plans for central security for BLOs, as the commission is confident the state government will provide the necessary protection. Furthermore, now that the SIR process has begun, any transfer of officers will require the commission’s permission.