New Delhi, September 27: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the deadlines for filing claims and objections under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi and Maharashtra.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the full Commission on Saturday, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and attended by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
In Delhi, voters will now be able to file claims and objections until October 30, 2026, while the deadline for disposal of notices, claims and objections has been extended to November 30.
In Maharashtra, the deadline for filing claims and objections has been extended to October 12, while their disposal will now have to be completed by November 10. The extensions were granted following requests from the respective Chief Electoral Officers.
The ECI has also changed the procedure for voters who receive notices during the SIR process because their records have been classified as “unmapped” or found to have “logical discrepancies”.
Under the revised procedure, such voters will ordinarily not be required to appear personally before the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO). Instead, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit their homes, collect the required documents and upload them on the ECINET platform for consideration by the ERO.
The Commission said hearings would be held only in exceptional cases and, preferably, through online mode. An adult family member may also be authorised by an elector to appear on their behalf when required.
The ECI has further directed District Election Officers to establish help desks and organise special camps, depending on local requirements, to assist people living in night shelters, labourers, economically vulnerable groups, homeless persons and others who may face difficulties participating in the electoral-roll revision process.
The Commission also announced a review of the ECINET system by a committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT. The review will examine whether the system complies with the relevant laws and rules.
The ECI said voters whose names are left out during or after the SIR process, including eligible young and first-time voters, can still seek inclusion in the electoral rolls through the process of continuous updation.
The measures come amid ongoing scrutiny of the SIR exercise and reports about differences within the Election Commission over aspects of the revision process. The ECI, however, said decisions taken by the Commission on the SIR exercise had received the approval of the full Commission.
