Election Commission extends SIR deadline by one week; draft roll to be published on December 23

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Election Commission has extended the deadline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Kerala by one week. Earlier, the Commission had granted a similar extension in West Bengal. Considering the upcoming local body elections, the deadline for submitting the required forms to include names in the voter list has now been extended.

According to the revised schedule, the draft electoral roll will now be published on December 23 instead of December 16. The final voter list will be released on February 21, 2026, which was earlier scheduled for February 14, 2026.

Local body elections in Kerala will be held in two phases on December 9 and 11, while counting will take place on December 13. The Commission’s decision came after the state government sought an extension for the enumeration forms and SIR-related steps, following permission from the Supreme Court. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to decide within two days whether the timelines could be extended due to the elections. Several political parties had approached the court on this matter.

After discussions with political parties, the Election Commission held a meeting with the state’s Chief Electoral Officer, Chief Secretary, and other senior officials. Following the review, the Commission decided to push the SIR schedule forward by one week. Earlier, on November 30, the Commission had already extended the nationwide SIR schedule by one week.