EC Directs Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Others to Prep for SIR

February 20, 2026

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of 22 states and Union Territories, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, to complete preparatory work for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls “at the earliest” ahead of the next phase of the nationwide voter list review.

The directive comes via a letter from the poll body, underscoring the importance of timely groundwork so the exercise expected to begin from April 2026 can be conducted smoothly across the remaining parts of the country where SIR has not yet started.

 What Is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?

The Special Intensive Revision is an electoral roll update process ordered by the Election Commission in June 2025 to comprehensively revise and update voter lists across all states and UTs. It includes door-to-door verification of electors and capture of updated information to ensure accurate, complete and clean rolls before upcoming elections.

While SIR has already been completed in Bihar and is under way in several other states, the next phase will cover 22 additional states and UTs, many of which are scheduled to begin in April 2026. Preparations include logistics, mapping polling stations and finalizing training for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and other field officials.

 States and UTs Asked to Prepare

The Election Commission’s communication listed the following states and UTs to prepare for SIR:

• Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu

• Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Ladakh

• Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, NCT of Delhi, Odisha

• Punjab, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana, Uttarakhand
  This phase aims to complete nationwide coverage once the preparation and fieldwork begin.

 Timeline and Election Context

According to the EC letter, because the SIR in these states and UTs is expected to begin from April 2026, CEOs should hurry to finish preparatory activity “at the earliest”. This timeline aligns with ensuring updated electoral rolls well ahead of several upcoming state polls and the general electoral calendar.

The revision process includes household enumeration, verification at polling booths and providing avenues for claims and objections before the final publication of updated rolls. Completing the SIR helps improve the accuracy and credibility of the electors’ list before elections.