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SIR Explained: What the Special Intensive Revision of Voter Lists Is, and Where Your State Stands

Sarkari Naukri Khabar  •  All India

The Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, is the Election Commission of India's house-to-house re-check of the voter list, and it is being carried out across the whole country in three phases. Bihar went first in 2025. Uttar Pradesh was part of the second phase, and its final roll has been published. The third phase covers the remaining states, including Delhi, Jharkhand and Maharashtra, where many people from Bihar and UP now live. This guide explains what SIR is, who has to do what, and where each state stood according to the Commission's official orders.

What SIR is

SIR stands for Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll. It is a fresh, house-to-house check of every name on the voter list, ordered by the Election Commission of India under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

Its stated objective, in the Commission's words, is that no eligible citizen is left out while no ineligible person is included in the electoral roll. Names are removed for four reasons given by the Commission: the elector has died, has permanently shifted, is entered twice, or could not be traced despite repeated visits.

Who is eligible to be on the list

Article 326 of the Constitution sets the rule. Every person who is a citizen of India, is not less than 18 years of age on the qualifying date, and is not otherwise disqualified under any law is entitled to be registered as a voter. SIR checks the existing list against that rule.

How it works, step by step

The process is the same in every state, according to the Commission's orders published through the Press Information Bureau:

• The Electoral Registration Officer prints a pre-filled Enumeration Form for every existing elector.
• Booth Level Officers (BLOs) deliver the forms house to house, and visit at least two or three times before treating anyone as untraceable.
• You fill in the form and return it to the BLO, or submit it online.
• A draft electoral roll is published, made up of everyone whose form was received.
• A period for claims and objections follows, during which names can be added, corrected or challenged using Forms 6, 7 and 8.
• After those are decided, the final electoral roll is published.

Phase I: Bihar, 2025

Bihar was the first state. The Commission ordered SIR there in June 2025 with 1 July 2025 as the qualifying date. The previous intensive revision in Bihar had been in 2003, with 1 January 2003 as its qualifying date, which is why the 2003 roll matters so much to Bihar voters. The final roll of the Bihar SIR has been published.

Phase II: Uttar Pradesh and eleven others

Phase II ran from October 2025 to April 2026 in nine states and three union territories: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Puducherry. The qualifying date was 1 January 2026.

For Uttar Pradesh, the revised schedule set the end of enumeration at 26 December 2025 and the draft roll for 31 December 2025. The Chief Electoral Officer of UP has since published the final electoral roll under SIR 2026, along with the list of names marked absent, shifted, dead, duplicate or form refused.

Phase III: the rest of the country, 2026

On 14 May 2026 the Commission ordered SIR in 16 more states and 3 union territories, which with the first two phases covers the whole country. The schedule for a few remaining states and UTs was to be announced later. The dates below are from that order. The Commission revises schedules, so confirm any date on your state's Chief Electoral Officer website before you rely on it.

• Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur: qualifying date 1 July 2026, final roll 6 September 2026.
• Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh: qualifying date 1 July 2026, final roll 22 September 2026.
• Uttarakhand: qualifying date 1 July 2026, final roll 15 September 2026.
• Telangana, Punjab: qualifying date 1 October 2026, final roll 1 October 2026.
• Karnataka, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Delhi: qualifying date 1 October 2026, draft roll 5 August 2026, final roll 7 October 2026.
• Nagaland: qualifying date 1 October 2026, draft roll 20 September 2026, final roll 22 November 2026.

If you are from Bihar or UP but live in Delhi or Maharashtra

You are registered where you live, not where you come from. If your name is on the roll in Delhi, Maharashtra or Jharkhand, the Phase III revision there applies to you, even though the SIR in your home state is over.

The enumeration form asks for your details, or a family member's, from the roll of the last SIR. The official list of documents includes an extract of the Bihar SIR roll with 1 July 2025 as the qualifying date, so a Bihar entry can help. See our guides on filling in the enumeration form and on the documents you may need.

What the Supreme Court decided

The legality of SIR was challenged. In its judgment of 27 May 2026 in Association for Democratic Reforms and others versus Election Commission of India, W.P. (C) 640 of 2025, the Supreme Court held that the SIR exercise is within the Commission's statutory mandate under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and consistent with its duty under Article 324 to ensure free and fair elections.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the full form of SIR?

Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll: a house-to-house re-check of the voter list by the Election Commission of India.

Is SIR over in Bihar?

Yes. Bihar was Phase I in 2025, with 1 July 2025 as the qualifying date, and its final roll has been published.

Is SIR over in Uttar Pradesh?

Yes. UP was part of Phase II, and the Chief Electoral Officer of UP has published the final electoral roll under SIR 2026.

When is SIR in Delhi?

Delhi is in Phase III. Under the Commission's order of 14 May 2026, the qualifying date is 1 October 2026 and the final roll is due on 7 October 2026. Check the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer's website, as schedules are revised.

Why can a name be removed in SIR?

The Commission gives four reasons: death, permanent shifting, a duplicate entry, or the elector being untraceable despite repeated visits by the BLO.

Did the Supreme Court stop SIR?

No. In its judgment of 27 May 2026 in W.P. (C) 640 of 2025, the Supreme Court held that SIR is within the Election Commission's statutory mandate.

ℹ️ Government rules, fees and processing times can change. Always confirm the current position on the official portal or at your block office before acting.

Last updated: 11 Sep 2026