The Election Commission of India, also known as the Election Commission of India, has announced the launch of the third phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across multiple states and Union Territories. This large-scale exercise, referred to as SIR Phase-III, will cover approximately 36.73 crore voters across 16 states and 3 Union Territories, marking one of the most extensive voter verification drives in recent years.

The primary objective of this exercise is to ensure that electoral rolls are accurate, updated, and free from duplication or errors. The process involves door-to-door verification of voters by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), supported by Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties.

Nationwide voter verification drive

In this phase of the Special Intensive Revision, nearly 3.94 lakh Booth Level Officers and 3.42 lakh Booth Level Agents will be deployed across the country. Their responsibility includes visiting households, verifying voter details, updating records, and ensuring that all eligible citizens are included in the electoral rolls.

The states included in this phase are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana, and Uttarakhand. The Union Territories covered are Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Chandigarh, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

This wide coverage ensures that almost the entire country is included in the revision process, with only a few regions like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh scheduled for later phases due to logistical and climatic challenges.

Why some regions are excluded for now

The Election Commission has stated that the voter revision process in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will be conducted at a later stage. The delay is primarily due to difficult terrain, high-altitude conditions, and weather-related constraints that make fieldwork challenging in these regions.

The schedule for these areas will be announced after the completion of ongoing census-related fieldwork and once conditions become suitable for deployment of field teams.

Detailed schedule of Phase-III

The SIR Phase-III exercise will take place between May and September 2026, with different states following staggered timelines. The process includes multiple stages such as door-to-door verification, draft publication of voter lists, handling of claims and objections, and final publication of updated electoral rolls.

For example, Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Manipur will begin their verification drive on May 30, with the process continuing until June 28. The final updated voter list for these states will be published on September 6, 2026.

In other major states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, and Delhi, the process will begin towards the end of June and is expected to conclude by October 7, 2026.

Maharashtra leads in voter population

Among all participating states, Maharashtra has the highest number of voters under this phase, with approximately 9.86 crore electors. To manage this large-scale exercise, nearly 97,924 Booth Level Officers and 96,949 Booth Level Agents will be deployed.

Karnataka has around 5.55 crore voters, Andhra Pradesh has 4.16 crore, and Telangana has 3.39 crore voters included in the revision drive. In Delhi alone, approximately 1.48 crore voters will be covered, supported by over 13,000 BLOs and nearly 29,000 BLAs.

Objective of the revision exercise

The Election Commission of India has emphasized that the main goal of the Special Intensive Revision is to ensure a clean and accurate voter database. The exercise aims to remove duplicate entries, eliminate fake or ineligible voters, and include all eligible citizens in the electoral rolls.

This is expected to improve the fairness and credibility of elections by ensuring that only genuine voters are included in the system. The process also helps strengthen democratic participation by making voter registration more accurate and accessible.

Scale of previous phases

Before Phase-III, the Election Commission had already completed two phases of the SIR exercise across 13 states and Union Territories. These earlier phases covered approximately 59 crore voters and involved the deployment of over 6.3 lakh Booth Level Officers and 9.2 lakh Booth Level Agents.

The scale of these exercises highlights the massive administrative effort involved in maintaining and updating India’s electoral system, which remains one of the largest democratic processes in the world.

Conclusion

The launch of SIR Phase-III by the Election Commission of India represents a major step in strengthening India’s electoral infrastructure. By covering 36.73 crore voters across 16 states and 3 Union Territories, the initiative aims to ensure transparency, accuracy, and inclusivity in the voter registration process.

As the exercise progresses through 2026, it is expected to play a crucial role in improving electoral integrity and ensuring that India’s democratic process remains robust and credible.

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