Voters' List Cleanup to Begin in 12 States, UTs from Tuesday: 10 Things to Know

The Election Commission's (EC) major voters’ list cleanup drive, called the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), will begin on Tuesday across 12 states and Union territories. The exercise, covering over 51

crore voters, aims to update and verify India’s electoral rolls. Here are the top 10 things to know:-Where It’s Happening: The second round of SIR will take place in Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and the Union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.-Timeline: The exercise starts November 4 and runs till February 7, 2026, when the final electoral rolls will be published.-Enumeration Stage: Officials will begin the enumeration process from November 4 to December 4, followed by the release of draft electoral rolls on December 9.-Final List: The final electoral rolls will be published on February 7, 2026.-Next in Line: Assam will have a separate revision later since the state’s citizenship verification exercise, supervised by the Supreme Court, is still ongoing."Under the Citizenship Act, there are separate provisions for citizenship in Assam. Under the supervision of the Supreme Court, the exercise of checking citizenship is about to be completed. The June 24 SIR order was for the entire country. Under such circumstances, this would not have applied to Assam," Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said on October 27 while announcing the latest phase of SIR.-Background: This is the ninth SIR since Independence and the first nationwide exercise since 2002–04.-Purpose: The EC says SIR will ensure no eligible voter is left out and no ineligible name remains on the list. It also aims to identify illegal foreign migrants by verifying places of birth. The apex poll panel maintains the drive is key to ensuring clean, credible, and inclusive electoral rolls across India.-Political Concerns: When SIR was launched in Bihar in June, some parties claimed it could disenfranchise citizens lacking documents. The EC assured the Supreme Court that no eligible voter would be excluded.-Tamil Nadu Opposes Move: Several political parties in Tamil Nadu have decided to move the Supreme Court against the new round of SIR.-Documents Required: Voters may use Aadhaar or details from the Bihar SIR voter list as indicative documents. Unlike before, people won’t have to submit papers during enumeration unless they receive a notice from election officers.