Business

EC orders special drive for left-out, new voters

By Sohail Khan 2 October 2026, 10:46 am

Benchmarks
Nifty22,421.95-198.5

FEATURED FUNDS★★★★★

Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund Direct-Growth

5Y Return
19.6 %

Invest Now

Enter search text:

Business News›News›Politics›Back on voter list? EC orders special drive for left-out, new voters in states where SIR over

Read Today's Paper

Back on voter list? EC orders special drive for left-out, new voters in states where SIR over
Synopsis

EC SIR News: The Election Commission has directed state poll officials to launch a special drive to identify and register eligible voters left out during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Booth Level Officers will cross-check pre-SIR and current rolls, conduct house-to-house verification and collect Form 6 applications from eligible voters, including first-time and young electors.

Listen to this article in summarized format

Loading…
×
×

Unlock AI Briefing and Premium Content

New Year Offer 24 Hours Left
Already a member? Sign In

What's Included

Exclusive Stories
Daily ePaper Access
Smart Market Tools
Curated Investment Ideas
Ad-lite Experience
Subscription

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Vivek Joshi and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, during a meeting of the Election Commission of India at Nirvachan Sadan

The Election Commission has directed state election officials to launch a special drive to identify and register eligible voters who were left out of electoral rolls following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), according to a PTI report.

The exercise will also cover first-time and young voters in areas where the electoral roll revision has already been completed. The Commission's instructions were issued after a virtual meeting with state Chief Electoral Officers.

The move comes amid criticism from Opposition parties over the SIR exercise and allegations that eligible voters were excluded from electoral rolls.

EC asks officials to identify voters missing from final rolls

The Election Commission has emphasised that voter registration is an ongoing process and that eligible citizens should not be left out simply because their names were not included during the SIR enumeration.

As part of the special drive, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been asked to compare the current electoral rolls with lists prepared before the SIR. This will help identify voters whose names appeared in earlier rolls but were missing from the final list.

Read more – 'Reach Jantar Mantar to save democracy': AAP's Atishi, Sanjay Singh call for Oct 2 protest against CEC over SIR

The BLOs will then carry out house-to-house verification of the identified voters.

BLOs given one-month target for verification

According to PTI, each BLO has been assigned a target of covering 20 to 25 electors every week, with the verification exercise expected to be completed within a month.

Officials will also collect Form 6 applications from eligible young voters and genuine cases of people who were left out of the revised rolls.

The lists will subsequently be shared with Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties, a step the Commission said would help maintain transparency in the process.

Opposition raises concerns over SIR voter roll revision

The special drive comes against the backdrop of Opposition criticism of the SIR exercise. Opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of working in tandem with the BJP and of disenfranchising eligible citizens through the revision process.

Data shared by the poll authority and state election officials showed that the combined electoral rolls in nine states and three Union territories had been reduced by 10.2% following the SIR exercise. More than 60 lakh deceased voters were also removed from the rolls.

The Opposition's criticism comes amid protests over the functioning of the Election Commission and demands for accountability over the SIR exercise.

— PTI_News (@PTI_News)

EC says SIR decisions were taken unanimously

The decision to conduct the special inclusion drive also comes amid reports of differences within the Election Commission over decisions linked to the SIR.

The Commission, however, has maintained that all decisions relating to the exercise were taken unanimously.

With the latest instructions, election officials in areas where the SIR process is complete will now focus on identifying eligible voters who may have been left out, while also facilitating registration of new and young electors.

Inputs from agencies

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

Read More News on
SIR electoral roll revisionElection CommissionSpecial Intensive Revisionvoter registrationnew votersBooth Level OfficersForm 6 applicationelectoral rollElection Commission SIR

Enter search text:

Continue reading with one of these options:
Limited Access
Free
Login to get access to some exclusive stories

& personalised newsletters
Login Now

Unlimited Access
Starting @ Rs120/month
Get access to exclusive stories, expert opinions &

in-depth stock reports
Subscribe Now

Unlock Access to All Exclusives with ETPrime FREE TRIAL

15 Days Free: Unlock All ETPrime Exclusives, Market Tools & ePapers

Trial offer expiring in00 : 05 : 00

I'd rather pay ₹2599 now

Uh-oh! This is an exclusive story available for selected readers only.

Worry not. You’re just a step away.

Prime Account Detected!

It seems like you're already an ETPrime member with

Log out of your current logged-in account and log in again using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits.

Unlock ETPrime's Exclusive Stories Today!

Subscribe to gain powerful insights on business, stock market and industry trends.

Big Price Drop! Flat 40% Off

Student Only Offer

Already a Member? Sign In now

Already a Member? Sign In now
Already a Member? Sign In now

Offer Exclusively For You

Save up to Rs. 700/-

ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIP

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get Flat 40% Off

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

ET Prime at ₹ 49 for 1 month

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Special Offer

Get flat 40% off on ETPrime

Avail Offer
Avail Offer

Claim NowAlready a Member? Sign In now

Need Assistance?

Connect with an ETPrime expert for personalized support and guidance

+91 9484700004

' + h3 + '

' + h4 + '

' + listing + '

What’s Included with

ETPrime Membership

1Exclusive Insights That Matter

Uncover the truth with our investigative stories

Make strategic moves using the real-world case studies

Read industry-specific stories to identify emerging trends

Spot opportunities with in-depth insights that matter

Trump temper on H-1B visas is forcing Indians to do these things to stay put in US

What Adani’s US indictment means for India Inc’s overseas fundraising
Why veterans like Reliance, L&T are on acquisition spree? Aswath Damodaran has an answer.

Will China’s dollar bond sale in Saudi Arabia trump the US in financial world?
Huawei launches its own OS to compete with Google and Apple. But can it win beyond China?

The problem with lab grown diamonds
Why a falling rupee is a better option for the economy

A list of top 20 momentum stocks that have delivered massive returns in one year