Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI), in exercise of its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, along with the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and relevant provisions of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, has ordered a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Electoral Rolls in West Bengal. This directive has been issued through instruction No. 23/2025-ERS (Vol. II) dated 27th October 2025.
The exercise aims to ensure a clean, inclusive, and error-free electoral roll ahead of the 2026 elections — with the twin objectives that no eligible citizen is left out and no ineligible name remains included.
Schedule for Special Intensive Revision 2026
| Description | Dates |
|---|---|
| House-to-House Enumeration Phase | 4th Nov – 4th Dec 2025 |
| Publication of Draft Electoral Rolls | 9th Dec 2025 |
| Claims & Objection Period | 9th Dec 2025 – 8th Jan 2026 |
| Notice Phase (Hearing & Verification) | 9th Dec 2025 – 31st Jan 2026 |
| Publication of Final Electoral Rolls | 7th Feb 2026 |
Process Overview
Under the Special Intensive Revision process, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant EROs (AEROs) will print and distribute Unique Enumeration Forms (EFs) containing details of each elector as of 27th October 2025.
Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct house-to-house visits at least three times between November 4 and December 4, 2025, to distribute and collect EFs from voters.
Voters can also fill their Enumeration Forms online, particularly in urban areas and among migrant populations.
The EROs/AEROs will:
- Provide contact lists of enumerators for public access.
- Include in the draft rolls the names of electors whose EFs are properly received.
- Issue notices to voters whose names could not be matched with the last SIR.
- Conduct hearings to verify eligibility based on documents and family whereabouts during 2002–2004 before finalizing inclusion or exclusion in the voter list.
BLOs’ Responsibilities
- Help electors link or match their names with previous SIR (2002–2004).
- Access the All-India SIR Database at voters.eci.gov.in for verification.
- Identify voters who are deceased, permanently shifted, absent, or registered in multiple places.
- Prepare and publicly display category-wise lists of unverified voters in local Panchayat and urban offices.
- Assist new voters in filling Form 6 for inclusion.
No additional documents are to be collected during the enumeration phase except the EF.
Phases of the Special Intensive Revision 2026
1. Pre-Enumeration Phase
- Printing and distribution of EFs with instructions.
- Training of BLOs and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) from all recognized political parties on the updated BLO App and ECI notifications.
2. Enumeration Phase (Nov 4 – Dec 4, 2025)
- Printing, distribution, and collection of EFs.
- Rationalisation of polling stations, capping each at 1,200 voters, including auxiliary booths in high-rise and slum areas.
3. Draft Publication (Dec 9, 2025)
- Draft Rolls to include electors whose forms were received.
- Separate lists of absent, shifted, duplicate, and deceased voters to be displayed on the CEO West Bengal website and public offices.
4. Notice and Hearing Phase (Dec 9, 2025 – Jan 31, 2026)
- EROs/AEROs will issue notices to unmatched voters.
- Hearings will verify documents and confirm eligibility based on residence and records during 2002–2004.
5. Claims & Objections (Dec 9, 2025 – Jan 8, 2026)
- Any elector or recognized political party’s BLA may file claims or objections regarding inclusion or exclusion.
6. Final Publication (Feb 7, 2026)
- Final electoral rolls to be published after due verification and hearings.
Indicative Documents for Verification
To establish eligibility, voters may provide any of the following (illustrative, not exhaustive):
- Government-issued ID cards, Pension Payment Order (Central/State/PSU)
- Pre-1987 official identity cards or certificates
- Birth Certificate or Passport
- Educational certificates (Matriculation or above)
- Permanent Residence Certificate
- OBC/SC/ST/Caste certificates by competent authority
- Family Register or Land/House Allotment Certificate
- NRC record (where applicable)
- Forest Rights Certificate
- Extracts from Bihar SIR Roll (as of July 1, 2025)
- Aadhaar, subject to ECI’s directive dated 09.09.2025
Appeal Mechanism
- District Magistrates (DMs) will hear the first appeal against ERO decisions.
- Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) will hear the second appeal against DM decisions.
Deployment of Volunteers
The Commission has directed the deployment of government employees and school teachers (who are voters in the respective polling stations) as volunteers. Their role is to ensure that:
- Genuine voters — especially the elderly, sick, PwD, poor, and other vulnerable groups — are not harassed.
- Assistance is provided to facilitate their smooth participation in the enumeration process.
Ensuring Transparency and Accuracy
The ECI’s Special Intensive Revision, 2026, represents a massive electoral integrity exercise, combining ground-level verification, online access, and multi-layered scrutiny.
Authorities have been instructed to uphold transparency, neutrality, and inclusiveness — reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to “No eligible voter left behind.”
