ECI to meet state CEOs to decide on nationwide voter roll revision

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will convene chief electoral officers (CEOs) from all states and union territories in New Delhi on September 10 to deliberate on a possible nationwide implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, reported Hindustan Times. The session will review states’ preparedness, administrative capacity, and documentation procedures, according to officials.

Ahead of the meeting, the Commission has instructed each state CEO to prepare a comprehensive presentation on ten core aspects. These include details of the present voter base, records and timelines of the most recent SIR, progress in digitising rolls, availability and training of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), as well as the current configuration and rationalisation of polling stations. The Commission aims to decide whether the revision should be rolled out across the country later this year or pushed to early 2026, officials cited by HT said.

This will be the third round of discussions between the poll body and state election authorities since Gyanesh Kumar became chief election commissioner in February. It coincides with Bihar’s ongoing revision drive, due to conclude on September 30.

The Bihar exercise has already covered door-to-door verification, form collection, and introduced a new declaration requirement for applicants registering afresh or shifting constituencies to confirm their place and date of birth.

According to people involved in the planning, the September 10 meeting will also examine difficulties faced in Bihar, such as missing documents, a large number of objections, and glitches in field operations or software.

States have been asked to provide feedback on acceptable documents to verify citizenship, particularly for those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, or in cases where parents’ birthplace is uncertain. In its June 24 order relating to Bihar, the Commission had hinted at its intention to extend a similar revision exercise nationwide “to protect the integrity of the electoral rolls,” though no official schedule has been declared.

Officials mentioned that the Commission is expected to determine both the “scope and timeline” of the national rollout shortly after the meeting. Until then, other states will continue with their regular procedures, while Bihar follows the timetable already issued.

The timing of this exercise is being viewed as important in the context of the 2026 assembly polls in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry. The Commission is reportedly seeking a common protocol and calendar that can be uniformly followed across states, depending on their administrative readiness. It will also assess whether additional declaration forms and document checks, introduced in Bihar, can be applied more broadly.

Facing criticism from Opposition parties and civil society over possible voter exclusions due to a lack of papers, officials said the Commission will remind CEOs of legal protections, Supreme Court rulings, and operating procedures to ensure no eligible voter is deleted without due process.

Preparations for the September 10 session include reviewing voter roll quality benchmarks, checking the readiness of digital platforms, and confirming field staff deployment. The Commission will also solicit suggestions from states on improving both the enumeration process and public outreach.