ECI releases SIR Phase-3 schedule for 16 states, 3 UTs; final voters' list by Dec 23
Synopsis
The Election Commission has rolled out Phase III of its Special Intensive Revision, deploying over 3.94 lakh Booth Level Officers to verify nearly 36.73 crore electors across 16 states and 3 UTs. With final voters' lists staggered between October and December, the exercise completes near-total national coverage — a significant logistical mobilisation ahead of upcoming state elections.
Key Takeaways
The Election Commission of India (ECI) released the SIR Phase-3 schedule on 21 May , covering 16 states and 3 union territories .
Final voters' lists will be published between 1 October and 23 December , varying by state.
Over 3.94 lakh BLOs will conduct door-to-door verification of nearly 36.73 crore electors .
Around 3.42 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) , nominated by political parties, will assist the BLOs.
The qualifying cut-off date for voter inclusion ranges from 1 July to 1 October , depending on the state.
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir , and Ladakh are the only regions excluded from the current SIR exercise.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday, 21 May released the detailed schedule for Phase III of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, covering 16 states and three union territories. The final voters' lists across these regions are set to be published in a staggered window between 1 October and 23 December, completing a nationwide revision exercise that has been building across earlier phases.
States and UTs Covered Under SIR Phase-3
The third phase encompasses Telangana, Punjab, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Delhi, Nagaland, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (DNH & DD), Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Manipur. With Phase III now underway, the SIR exercise effectively covers the entire country, with the exception of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The qualifying cut-off date for voter inclusion ranges from 1 July to 1 October, depending on the state or UT, according to an official statement from the Commission.
Scale of the Door-to-Door Drive
More than 3.94 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will undertake door-to-door verification of nearly 36.73 crore electors during the Enumeration Phase. They will be supported by approximately 3.42 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) nominated by recognised political parties — making this one of the largest ground-level electoral verification drives in the country's recent history.
State-Wise Key Dates at a Glance
In Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Manipur, document preparation and training began on 20 May and is expected to run until 29 May. BLO house visits are scheduled between 30 May and 28 June, with the draft rolls published on 5 July and the final list on 6 September.
In DNH & DD, preparation begins 25 May, the draft rolls are due on 10 July, and the final list on 11 September. For Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Chandigarh, the draft rolls will be published on 21 July and the final list on 22 September.
In Karnataka, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Delhi — where the qualifying date is 1 October — BLO visits run from 30 June to 29 July, the draft rolls appear on 5 August, and the final list on 7 October. Telangana and Punjab will have BLO visits between 25 June and 24 July, with the final list published on 1 October.
In Uttarakhand, the draft rolls are due on 14 July and the final list on 9 September. Nagaland's final list is expected on 11 November, while Tripura — the last to conclude — will publish its final electoral roll on 23 December.
What This Means for Voters
Citizens in the covered states and UTs who turn 18 by the applicable qualifying date will be eligible for fresh registration during this revision cycle. Existing voters whose details have changed — such as address or name — can also submit corrections during the claims and objections window following each draft publication.
This is a critical exercise ahead of any elections scheduled in these states, as it determines the accuracy and completeness of the rolls from which polling is conducted. With the ECI aiming for near-complete national coverage through Phases I, II, and III combined, the Commission is signalling a heightened focus on electoral preparedness well in advance.
Point of View
Yet the exercise rarely gets the public scrutiny it deserves. The staggered timelines across states also raise a quiet coordination challenge: political parties must deploy 3.42 lakh BLAs across multiple overlapping windows, which tests their organisational depth beyond campaign season. Notably, the exclusion of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh from all three phases warrants a separate explanation from the Commission, given the region's heightened electoral significance. The ECI's move to complete near-national coverage ahead of the 2025-26 election season reflects institutional foresight, but execution at the booth level — historically uneven — will determine whether the rolls actually improve.
NationPress
6 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SIR Phase-3 and which states are covered?
SIR Phase-3 is the third phase of the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, covering 16 states and 3 union territories including Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana, Punjab, and others. It involves door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers to update and clean voter lists ahead of upcoming elections.
When will the final voters' list be published under SIR Phase-3?
The final voters' lists will be published on different dates depending on the state, ranging from 6 September 2025 (for Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Manipur) to 23 December 2025 (for Tripura). Most major states like Maharashtra, Delhi, and Karnataka will see their final lists published around 7 October.
Who are Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and what will they do?
Booth Level Officers are ground-level election officials assigned to specific polling booths. In SIR Phase-3, more than 3.94 lakh BLOs will conduct house-to-house visits to verify the details of nearly 36.73 crore electors, assisted by around 3.42 lakh Booth Level Agents nominated by political parties.
What is the qualifying date for inclusion in the electoral roll?
The qualifying cut-off date varies by state — it is 1 July for states like Odisha, Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh, and Haryana, and 1 October for states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, and Jharkhand. Voters who turn 18 by their state's qualifying date are eligible for fresh registration.
Which regions are excluded from the SIR exercise?
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh are not part of the current SIR exercise across any of the three phases. With Phase-3 now launched, the revision covers the rest of the country.
