Election Commission to Launch Nationwide Voter Revision Drive from November
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Learning from the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process during the Bihar Assembly elections which even reached the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is now set to launch the campaign nationwide. The Commission has prepared to roll out the countrywide SIR process starting from November. Initially, the voter list revision will begin in states scheduled to hold Assembly elections in 2026.
To assess the preparedness for this massive exercise, the Election Commission began a two-day national conference on Wednesday. During the meeting, the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from all states presented their reports on the SIR process readiness. The Commission will announce the detailed plan at the end of this conference.
It is noteworthy that the SIR process in Bihar sparked intense political debate, later reaching the Supreme Court. The Court upheld the legality of the process but observed that it could have been initiated earlier. Taking this cue, the Election Commission has decided to begin the campaign well in advance this time.
Phased Implementation: First States to Begin the Process
According to a report by The Indian Express, the nationwide SIR campaign will be conducted in a phased manner. In the first phase, it will be implemented in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal — the states where elections are due in 2026. However, the process in Assam may face slight delays due to the ongoing work related to the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Officials from the Assam Election Commission have stated that the SIR will begin only after the NRC process is completed.
Major Relief for Migrant Voters
The Election Commission is also introducing a significant change to benefit migrant workers. During the Bihar SIR process, voters were allowed to reference their names only from Bihar’s final intensive voter list. Under the new rules, however, a voter will now be able to submit name references from the final SIR voter list of any state where they currently reside.
In simple terms, a migrant worker originally from West Bengal but currently registered as a voter in Maharashtra can remain enrolled in Maharashtra’s voter list. They would just need to show that their name (or a linked voter’s name) appeared in the 2002 West Bengal voter list, the last time SIR was conducted there. This move aims to ensure that migrant workers can stay registered in the states where they currently live without losing their voting rights.