The Election Commission has once again extended the deadline for Delhi's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, pushing the verification exercise to August 17, 2026. This marks the second extension this month, primarily due to the slower-than-anticipated digitization of voter enumeration forms, with only about 63% processed so far.
Originally, the SIR process, which commenced on June 30, was slated to conclude on July 29 before an initial extension to August 8. The latest revision also impacts subsequent stages of the electoral roll update. The draft electoral rolls will now be published on August 24, 2026. Following this, citizens will have from August 24 to September 23 to submit claims and objections, a period previously set from August 17 to September 16.
New Key Dates for Delhi's Voter List
- Verification Deadline: August 17, 2026
- Draft Electoral Rolls Publication: August 24, 2026
- Claims and Objections Period: August 24 – September 23, 2026
- Processing of Submissions: August 24 – October 22, 2026
- Final Voter List Publication: October 27, 2026
Officials from the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer's office cited several factors contributing to the delay. These include a significant number of pending form submissions from voters, discrepancies in voter details, technical difficulties encountered during the digitization process, and challenges in retrieving older electoral records. The extension aims to provide more time for voters to complete and submit their enumeration forms.
Extensive Verification Effort Underway
The SIR exercise is a crucial undertaking across all 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi, involving over 13,000 booth-level officers. These officials are engaged in door-to-door verification to ensure the accuracy of voter data. With approximately 1.45 crore voters in Delhi, the scale of the operation is substantial.
The primary objective of this intensive revision, with a qualifying date of July 1, 2026, is to ensure all eligible residents are accurately included in the electoral rolls, while also removing entries for individuals who no longer qualify. The CEO office has urged residents who have not yet submitted their forms to do so promptly to avoid further delays in the process.