Intensive Revision of Voter Lists in Punjab

June 18, 2026

Assembly elections in Punjab are approaching early next year. There is even speculation that the elections might be held this November instead of in 2027. In light of this, the Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Punjab has become crucial. It has been announced that the revision of voter lists in Punjab will be conducted through a door-to-door enumeration process starting on June 25. This campaign will run from June 25 to July 24, 2026. Government-appointed Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit households to verify voter details and collect enumeration forms. A high-level review meeting regarding this has already been held. Election officials from the Malwa division held a review meeting with Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer and the Senior Deputy Election Commissioner of the Election Commission. Following similar review meetings for the Majha and Doaba regions, the program will commence on June 25. Punjab comprises 5 divisions, 23 districts, and 117 assembly constituencies. A total of 24,453 polling stations are established across 14,664 locations within these areas. The initial step in the revision process is voter mapping, which is already 85.82% complete in Punjab. A three-day state-level training program has also been successfully concluded. Currently, district-level training is being provided to Block Level Officers and Block Level Supervisors. Regarding the role of BLOs, the revision of voter lists relies heavily on them. They require comprehensive training and sufficient time to execute this vital task effectively. However, it is worth noting that BLOs are employees who also handle duties in schools, Anganwadis, and other offices. They are selected for this additional responsibility and receive only nominal remuneration. This extra assignment often disrupts their primary duties, as the workload involved frequently exceeds the allotted time. The reasons lie in the illiteracy, ignorance, and lack of cooperation among voters. It would be ideal— especially as we champion the “One Nation, One Election” slogan—if BLOs were not merely borrowed from other offices but were instead recruited for a dedicated, shortterm service role. However, this is not the case; government officials handle these duties as an additional workload