EC says BLOs will collect documents at home from voters served SIR notices

The Election Commission said on Saturday, 26 September 2026, that voters noticed in the special intensive revision for being "unmapped" or for "logical discrepancies" will not ordinarily have to attend a hearing. The full Commission met at 3 pm at Nirvachan Sadan: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The Indian Express reported that the note had the full Commission's approval. The Times of India called it the first meeting after reports of alleged internal differences. The Indian Express called it the first since that paper reported a divide.

The statement, quoted by The Indian Express, India Today, Mint and Hindustan Times, says booth level officers will visit the home, collect documents and upload them on ECINet for the electoral registration officer to decide. Such voters need not be called to the ERO or assistant ERO. A hearing is only in exceptional cases, as the ERO decides, preferably online, and an adult family member may be authorised to attend. The Times of India paraphrased the visit as one by EROs and assistant EROs. The quoted statement assigns the visit to booth level officers.

The Indian Express reported that "unmapped" means a name was not in the previous intensive revision and parents or grandparents could not be shown from that roll. "Logical discrepancies" are flags from the central software. The Times of India listed a name or gender mismatch, less than 15 years with a parent, less than 40 with a grandparent, six children mapped to one parent, and less than nine months between siblings. Until now, it said, notice recipients had to appear before the ERO. It said the change followed criticism from voters and the opposition. That is the paper's account of the criticism.

District officers are to set up help desks or camps for night shelters, labourers, the poor and the homeless. The Commission said the Form 6 declaration used for the SIR was upheld by the Supreme Court, and that outside the SIR the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, apply. The Indian Express reported that the two commissioners had called an online Form 6 addition "illegal, unauthorised", because only the Law Ministry can amend that form.

On ECINet, the Commission said field officers have role-based access. A committee under a senior deputy election commissioner, with an expert from an IIT or IIIT, will check compliance with the Acts and rules and report back. Further flexibility for field officers will be made operational, and new IT modules will pass through the Committee of Officers first. The Times of India reported that the Commission rejected claims that officers were locked out.

At Delhi's request, claims run to 30 October 2026 and disposal to 30 November 2026. At Maharashtra's request, claims run to 12 October 2026 and disposal to 10 November 2026. The statement also said minutes will be issued, appraisals finished by 31 December, and foreign trips approved by the Commission.

The Commission said the SIR is complete in 20 states and Union Territories, including Bihar and West Bengal. Anyone left out, including a first-time voter, may apply to the ERO under a special drive. It said the order of 24 June 2025 had unanimous approval and was upheld by the Supreme Court on 27 May 2026. On a letter to Cabinet Secretary T. V. Somanathan, it said the subject was an officer on deputation, not policy, and that IT oversight by the deputy election commissioner was never withdrawn. On Goa, it said 81 of 97 electors left off the roll, despite a recommendation to include them, had filled Form 6.

What's next

The new claim deadlines are 30 October 2026 in Delhi and 12 October 2026 in Maharashtra. The ECINet committee is to report to the Commission. Officers are to start a special enrolment drive. In Goa, 81 of 97 named electors had filled Form 6, the Commission said.