Bhubaneswar: A comprehensive Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists will begin in Odisha from Monday (May 30).
The SIR is considered one of the most critical pre-election exercises undertaken by the Election Commission to update, verify and streamline electoral rolls before major elections. The process involves large-scale field verification, correction of voter data and inclusion or deletion of names based on eligibility with active involvement of political parties and citizens.
Addressing a presser, State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R S Gopalan on Friday detailed the schedule and objectives of the SIR-2026. “Printing and preparatory work have been completed, and training of all BLOs has concluded. From tomorrow, enumeration forms will be distributed among the electors, who feature in the 2005 voters list. The BLOs will conduct house-to-house visits from May 30 to June 28. The BLOs have been instructed to remain in their booths from 3 pm to 5 pm, since some people have sought a designated spot where they can meet them,” he said.
The CEO emphasised that the drive is intended to ensure no eligible Indian citizen is left out of the voter list while removing ineligible entries.
Gopalan urged Booth Level Officers to remain vigilant so that no eligible voter is excluded and no ineligible person is included. He also requested all recognised political parties to appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) for every polling station to ensure transparency and participation in the process.
So far, 33,226 such agents have been appointed by political parties.
During the house-to-house campaign, BLOs will provide two pre-printed enumeration forms to each voter. One copy will be collected after filling, while the second copy, duly signed by the BLO, will be handed back to the voter as a receipt for their records. Voters facing any difficulty in filling forms can seek assistance from their respective BLOs. New eligible voters can also apply using Form-6 along with a declaration during this period.
Voters can also download the forms from the Election Commission’s portal (voters.eci.gov.in), fill them, and upload them online.
Key Timeline for SIR-2026
>> May 30 to June 28, 2026: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct house-to-house visits across the state to distribute and collect enumeration forms from every elector.
>> July 1, 2026: Qualifying date for the revision.
>> July 5, 2026: Publication of the draft voter list.
>> July 5 to August 4, 2026: Period for filing claims and objections.
>> September 6, 2026: Publication of the final voter list.
Preparatory Progress
Officials informed that 3,16,03,323 electors — 94.61% of the total — have already been mapped with the voter list published during the last SIR in 2002. Unmapped electors will get an opportunity to provide necessary details during this revision for inclusion.
As many as 45,255 Booth Level Officers will participate in the massive door-to-door exercise.
Heatwave Safety Measures
Taking note of the prevailing summer conditions in the state, the CEO has issued specific guidelines for field work. BLOs have been directed to conduct visits only between 6 am and 11 pm and 4 pm and 7 pm, avoiding the peak heat hours between 12 noon and 3 PM.
A special protocol has been prepared for the safety of officials. District Superintendents of Police and Electoral Registration Officers have been coordinated with to provide prompt security in case of any untoward incidents.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has banned the transfer or posting of election-related officials without prior Election Commission of India (ECI) approval. The directive, issued on Wednesday by Chief Secretary Anu Garg, covers key functionaries including District Election Officers (DEOs), Collectors, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant EROs (AEROs), BLO Supervisors, and Booth Level Officers (BLOs). Departments have also been directed to immediately fill all vacant posts in these roles on priority to ensure the revision proceeds smoothly.
