The Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the timeline for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Puducherry, Goa, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan, and West Bengal. The new deadline for filing claims and objections is January 19, 2026, according to an official notification.
This extension comes after requests from Chief Electoral Officers and careful consideration of factors to ensure all eligible voters are included in the electoral rolls. The notification refers to the earlier letter issued on December 27, 2025, which had set the original SIR schedule with January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date.
The extension specifically applies to the period for submitting claims and objections. Voters now have additional time to verify their details, file inclusions using Form 6 with necessary declarations, or raise objections regarding entries. The ECI directed that the notification be published immediately in the extraordinary issue of the state gazettes, with three copies sent to the commission for records.
Chief Electoral Officers have been instructed to widely publicize the extension through media, booth-level officers, and digital platforms such as the voters.eci.gov.in portal and ECINet app. All officers must follow the revised schedule to ensure transparency and accuracy in the electoral process.
The SIR exercise is part of a nationwide initiative to update voter lists ahead of the 2026 assembly elections in several states, including West Bengal, Puducherry, and others. The goal is to include all eligible citizens while removing ineligible entries due to deaths, migration, duplicates, or other discrepancies.
Earlier stages of revision included enumeration periods ending on December 11, 2025, and draft roll publication on December 16, 2025. Final rolls are scheduled for February 2026. Eligible voters, including first-time voters, are urged to submit Form 6 either to booth-level officers or online. Political parties and civil society groups have welcomed the extension, noting it allows more time for thorough verification and safeguards against errors in the voter list.
