The Election Commission of India has launched its most ambitious voter list overhaul in decades — Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Phase-IIIndia — kicking off on November 4, 2025, and wrapping up with final electoral rolls on February 7, 2026. This isn’t just administrative housekeeping. It’s a full-scale mobilization affecting nearly 51 crore eligible voters across 12 states and union territories, with the outcome directly shaping who gets to vote in the critical 2026 state elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal. And here’s the thing: if your name isn’t on the list by February 7, you won’t be voting — no exceptions, no last-minute fixes.
How SIR Phase-II Works: Door-to-Door Verification on a Massive Scale
Unlike routine annual updates, SIR Phase-II is a ground-up census. Over 100,000 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are hitting households in 321 districts and 1,843 Assembly Constituencies, conducting at least three rounds of visits between November 4 and December 4, 2025. They’re handing out partially pre-filled Enumeration Forms (EFs) — not blank sheets, but ones already populated with names from the rolls as of October 27, 2025. The goal? Catch mismatches, duplicate entries, deceased voters, and people who’ve moved — all while ensuring no eligible citizen gets left out.The process is brutal in its precision. BLOs are trained to verify identities using documents like Aadhaar cards, ration cards, or even extracts from Bihar’s July 1, 2025, electoral roll as proof of prior registration. It’s not about having a Voter ID card — though it helps — it’s about being listed. As one BLO in Kerala put it: "We’re not here to scare people. We’re here to make sure they don’t get scared when they show up to vote and their name’s gone."
Key Dates No Voter Can Afford to Miss
The timeline is tight, unforgiving, and non-negotiable:- November 4 – December 4, 2025: Enumeration period — BLOs visit homes to collect forms.
- December 9, 2025: Draft electoral rolls published online at voters.eci.gov.in — this is your first chance to spot errors.
- December 9, 2025 – January 31, 2026: Notice period for hearings — if you’re flagged for deletion, you’ll get a chance to respond.
- January 8, 2026: Deadline to file claims or objections — miss this, and your appeal dies.
- February 7, 2026: Final rolls published — the last day to be legally eligible to vote.
That’s it. No extensions. No grace periods. The Election Commission of India is treating this like a military operation — and for good reason. In 2024, over 2.1 million voters were removed from rolls nationwide due to duplicates or outdated addresses. This time, they’re determined not to repeat the mistakes.
How to Register or Update Your Details
If you’re a first-time voter, you need Form 6. If you’ve moved, changed your name, or need to correct your address, you need Form 8. Both are available online via the National Voter’s Service Portal (NVSP) or at local enrollment centers. But here’s the catch: applications submitted after December 4, 2025, won’t be processed in time for the draft rolls. And if you miss the January 8 deadline for objections? You’re out of luck until after the elections.Don’t rely on the Voter ID card. It’s not mandatory to vote — your name on the roll is. But you must carry one of the EC’s approved ID documents on polling day: Aadhaar, passport, driving license, or even a pension card. The Commission has expanded its list to include documents from other states’ rolls, recognizing that internal migration is the new norm.
Why This Matters Beyond the Ballot Box
This isn’t just about voting rights. It’s about representation. When large swaths of voters — especially young, mobile, or marginalized communities — are excluded from the rolls, their voices disappear from policy debates. In Uttar Pradesh, preliminary data suggests over 1.3 million people who moved from rural to urban areas after 2020 are still listed in their old constituencies. That’s not just an administrative glitch — it’s democratic erosion.Meanwhile, states like Goa and Delhi already completed their own revisions earlier in 2025, using January 1 and June 1, 2025, as qualifying dates respectively. But SIR Phase-II is different. It’s the first time the ECI has synchronized such a massive, multi-state effort with real-time digital tracking via the ECINet app. Voters can now book a call with their BLO, track form status, and even report missing names — all from their phone.
What Comes Next?
After February 7, 2026, the rolls become locked. The ECI will begin preparing for the 2026 elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal — all of which are expected to be fiercely contested. But the real test will come after the polls: analyzing how many voters were successfully included, how many were wrongly excluded, and whether the SIR process truly reached the most vulnerable.One thing’s clear: digital tools are now central to democracy’s backbone. The fact that 17 million voters accessed the NVSP portal in October 2025 alone shows how tech is reshaping civic participation. But access isn’t universal. In remote areas of Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, many still rely on paper forms and BLO visits. The Commission’s success will be measured not just by numbers, but by equity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still register to vote if I missed the SIR enumeration period?
No. The SIR Phase-II enumeration window closed on December 4, 2025. Applications submitted after this date won’t be processed before the draft rolls are published on December 9. If your name isn’t on the draft list, you can file a claim or objection by January 8, 2026 — but only if you were eligible to vote as of October 27, 2025. After February 7, 2026, you’ll have to wait for the next revision cycle.
Do I need a Voter ID card to vote?
No. What matters is that your name appears on the final electoral roll published on February 7, 2026. However, you must carry one of the 12 officially recognized ID documents — such as Aadhaar, passport, or driving license — to verify your identity at the polling station. The Voter ID card is convenient, but not mandatory.
How do I check if I’m on the draft electoral roll?
Visit voters.eci.gov.in and use the search tool by entering your name, father’s/husband’s name, and constituency. You can also check via the ECINet app or by calling the toll-free helpline 1950 with your STD code. Draft rolls are available from December 9, 2025, and must be reviewed before the January 8 objection deadline.
What happens if my name is removed from the rolls?
If your name is flagged for removal — often due to duplicate entries, death, or migration — you’ll receive a notice via SMS, email, or post. You have until January 31, 2026, to respond and provide proof of eligibility. If you don’t respond, your name will be deleted permanently. The ECI has set up 1,200 helpline centers across the 12 states to assist with appeals.
Why is Aadhaar being accepted as proof for voter verification?
The ECI added Aadhaar as an indicative document in 2025 to streamline verification amid high migration rates. It’s not mandatory, but it’s a reliable, nationally recognized ID that links to address and biometric data. This helps prevent fraud and ensures people aren’t registered in multiple places — a growing issue in urbanizing states like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
How is SIR different from the annual voter list update?
Annual updates are paper-based and rely on self-declaration. SIR is a door-to-door, three-time verification process backed by digital tracking, BLO accountability, and cross-checking with other government databases. It’s designed to fix systemic gaps — not just add names. The 2025 SIR Phase-II is the largest such operation since 2019, covering more than 50% of India’s electorate.