EC To Announce Pan-India Voter List Revision Dates On Monday; 10-15 States Likely In Phase 1
The Election Commission of India is set to announce the schedule for its ambitious nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on Monday, October 27. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is expected to lead a press conference at 4:15 pm to unveil the first phase of the massive exercise, which is likely to cover 10 to 15 states.According to official sources, the initial phase will likely focus on states heading to Assembly elections in 2026, including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, and Assam, along with the Union Territory of Puducherry.
The poll body has already conducted two conferences with state Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) to finalize the rollout plan for the comprehensive voter list cleanup.This nationwide initiative follows the recently concluded SIR in Bihar, which is set to vote in November. The primary aim of the revision is to “purify” the electoral rolls by identifying and removing illegal foreign migrants through meticulous verification of voters’ place of birth.
The move is particularly significant amid ongoing crackdowns on undocumented migrants from countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar in several states. The exercise will use historical voter lists, some dating back to the early 2000s, as reference points to map and verify current electors.
In states where local body elections are either ongoing or scheduled soon, the voter roll revision will be deferred to later phases to avoid overburdening the election machinery. The announcement tomorrow is expected to provide full details on the states included in the first phase and the specific timelines for the revision process.
