New Delhi: The Election Commission will soon decide on the date to roll out special intensive revision on a pan-India basis, and the exercise to clean up the voter list across states may take place before the end of the year, officials said Wednesday.
After a day-long meeting of EC’s state chief electoral officers here, officials said that with as many as five assembly polls due next year, the all-India SIR could take place in the coming months in 2025.
While senior EC officials made a presentation on the SIR policy of the Commission, the chief electoral officer of Bihar shared the state’s experience in implementing the special intensive revision of electoral rolls.
CEOs were asked how soon they could be ready for the revision, and most assured the Commission that the groundwork would be complete by September, India Today’s report stated.
The meeting, which stretched over three and a half hours, focused on the logistics of the exercise. The Election Commission has also directed state CEOs to prepare lists of documents that can be accepted for verifying voters. These would be based on locally available and widely recognised certificates, which differ across regions, as per the report.
For instance, in tribal areas, the northeast, and coastal states, certificates issued by autonomous councils and local bodies are often considered valid proof of identity and residence.
This comes as a crucial meeting of the Election Commission with state officials was held on Wednesday to discuss preparations for a nationwide rollout of SIR. While senior ECI officials are presenting the Commission’s policy, Bihar’s Chief Electoral Officer is sharing the state’s experience in implementing the exercise.
