Kerala’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter list hearing to finish by Feb 14; final electoral roll set for Feb 21 — The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Kerala’s electoral rolls is entering its final phase as the hearing and verification process is scheduled to be completed by February 14, 2026. The SIR exercise is part of a nationwide effort by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to update and cleanse the voter list ahead of upcoming elections.
The revision began with house-to-house enumeration of voters and the collection of Form 6 applications for new registrations and updates. After this phase concluded, the draft electoral roll was published in late December 2025, showing voter coverage and identifying entries that required further review. During the subsequent period, citizens were allowed to file claims, objections, and corrections if their names were missing or incorrectly listed.
Following the draft publication, a notice and hearing phase was initiated, whereby voters whose entries were challenged or flagged for discrepancies were invited to present evidence or clarify details before the District Election Officers and Booth Level Officers (BLOs). Recognising practical challenges — including absentee voters or those unable to attend in person — the ECI relaxed norms to allow close family members to receive hearing notices or attend hearings on behalf of eligible voters to avoid exclusion.
According to the updated timeline, the hearing and verification process will conclude by February 14, after which electoral authorities will prepare the final revised voter list. The final publication of the voter list is set for February 21, 2026, giving citizens and political parties time to verify the outcomes and settle any outstanding issues before key electoral deadlines.
Election officials stress that the SIR exercise is crucial for maintaining accurate and inclusive electoral rolls, ensuring that eligible voters are neither omitted nor erroneously retained, and thereby upholding the integrity of the democratic process in Kerala ahead of major polls.
