- BLO home visits for unmapped voters, simplifying document collection.
- Online hearings for exceptional cases; family members can attend.
- Deadlines extended for claims/objections in Delhi and Maharashtra.
Amid the EC-SIR controversy, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi met on Saturday to issue point-by-point clarifications regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. They clarified key procedures, including home visits by Booth Level Officers for document collection and online hearings in exceptional cases. Additionally, deadlines for filing claims and objections have been extended in Delhi and Maharashtra.
The development came after a report by The Indian Express alleging that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders allegedly taken without their knowledge.
A meeting of the Election Commission of India was held today, 26 September 2026, at 3:00 PM at Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi.
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) September 26, 2026
Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi were present in today’s meeting.… pic.twitter.com/WZoqEIXVJq
The reported objections involved core areas of electoral-roll management, including the addition, removal, and restoration of voters, modifications to Form 6, and access to the Election Commission's electoral-roll database.
Previously, the Election Commission rejected the idea of an institutional breakdown, noting that differences of opinion, written notes and internal checks were all part of the decision-making process in a multi-member constitutional body. The poll panel has stated that its decisions were unanimous.
Following these developments, the Election Commission (EC) has announced a comprehensive set of decisions addressing both the SIR row and the commission's internal functioning:
Here are some key points:
- If you received a notice during the ongoing SIR process because your details are unmapped or have errors, you do not need to visit the election office. Instead, a Booth Level Officer (BLO) will visit your home to collect your documents and upload them online for the Election Registration Officer (ERO) to review. You will only be called for a hearing in rare, exceptional cases, which will preferably be conducted online, and any adult family member can attend on your behalf if needed.
- District Election Officers (DEOs) have been asked to set up enough help desks and organiSe special camps such as in night shelters, labor areas, or for homeless and poor individuals to ensure everyone can easily get assistance as needed.
- The declaration attached to Form 6 for the SIR process has been officially approved by the Supreme Court.
- Field officers can access the ECINET system based on their official duties and legal powers. A special committee which will be led by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT who will review the system to ensure it strictly follows all election laws and rules, and then report back to the Election Commission. The portal has already been upgraded based on feedback from State Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), and any extra flexibility needed by field officers will be added.
- the Election Commission has extended the deadline to file claims and objections in Delhi to October 30, 2026, and the deadline to resolve them to November 30, 2026.
- The deadline for filing claims and objections in Maharashtra is extended to October 12, 2026, with the disposal period extended to November 10, 2026.
- ECI further said, the SIR process is already completed in 20 States and UTs, including Bihar and West Bengal. If anyone's name was left out, or if anyone such as a young or first-time voter wants to register, they can apply to their local ERO anytime through continuous updating, which Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) have been instructed to facilitate. To make this easy, CEOs, DEOs, and EROs will immediately launch a special enrolment drive to get these voters registered.
- The CEO Goa has directed concerned BLOs to conduct house to house visits to left out voters to collect their forms. 81 voters out of 97 have already filled Form 6 for inclusion.
Responding to the controversy and following media reports claiming decisions were made without their knowledge, the EC clarified that this press note has the approval of the full Commission.