Hyderabad: With the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls set to commence across Telangana from June 25, the Election Commission has issued detailed guidelines to address growing concerns and questions from voters and political parties regarding the exercise.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K Sudharshan Reddy said the revision aims to ensure the accuracy of electoral rolls by identifying deceased voters, duplicate entries, migrated electors, and eligible citizens who are yet to be enrolled.
BLOs to conduct house-to-house enumeration
As part of the exercise, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit every household at least three times and distribute Enumeration Forms to voters. BLOs will explain how to fill the forms and collect one completed copy while providing the second copy as an acknowledgement receipt.
Voters can also submit the Enumeration Form online through the Election Commission’s voter services portal.
SIR 2002 electoral roll to help verify eligibility
To help electors avoid receiving notices during the revision process, voters whose records cannot be readily mapped may use details from the 2002 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) electoral roll, EC said.
The CEO said printed copies of the 2002 electoral rolls will be available with BLOs, who will assist voters in locating their names. Electors can also search for their details through the Election Commission’s voter portal or the Telangana CEO website using the “Search by Elector Details” option. Part-wise electoral rolls are also available in PDF format for voters who know their polling station details.
If an elector’s name is not found in the 2002 electoral roll, it may indicate that he or she was not registered as a voter at that time. In such cases, voters may provide the electoral details of their parents or grandparents in the Enumeration Form. BLOs will assist electors in identifying and recording the appropriate information.
Online submission facility available
The Election Commission has enabled online submission of Enumeration Forms for voters whose names in the electoral roll match the names linked to their Aadhaar records.
Voters can log in using their registered mobile number or EPIC number, verify themselves through an OTP, and fill out the form online. After entering the required details, the system redirects users to an e-sign page, where a final OTP-based authentication completes the submission process.
Election officials have encouraged all eligible voters with registered mobile numbers to make use of the online facility.
No documents required during enumeration phase
The CEO clarified that voters are not required to submit any supporting documents while filling and submitting Enumeration Forms during the house-to-house enumeration stage.
However, after publication of the draft electoral roll on July 31, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) may seek documentary proof if they have doubts regarding an elector’s eligibility.
Documents accepted if notice is issued
In cases where verification is required, voters may submit any of the following documents:
- Government-issued identity cards or pension payment orders.
- Identity cards or certificates issued before July 1, 1987, by government departments, local bodies, banks, post offices, LIC, or public sector undertakings.
- Birth certificates.
- Passports.
- Matriculation or educational certificates issued by recognised institutions.
- Permanent residence certificates.
- Forest Rights certificates.
- OBC, SC, ST, or other caste certificates.
- Family registers maintained by state or local authorities.
- Government-issued land or house allotment certificates.
- Aadhaar, subject to Election Commission guidelines.
What happens if forms are not submitted?
Election officials warned that if an elector receives an Enumeration Form but fails to return it, BLOs will conduct inquiries to determine whether the voter is absent, deceased, has shifted residence, or possesses duplicate registrations. Such names may not be included in the draft electoral roll until verification is completed.
Address changes and new voter registration
Electors seeking to update their address must submit Form 8 after the publication of the draft roll on July 31. Claims and objections will be accepted between July 31 and August 30, and approved corrections will be incorporated into the final electoral roll.
Citizens who are not yet registered as voters and will attain the age of 18 by October 1, 2026, may apply using Form 6 along with the prescribed declaration. Applications will be scrutinised during the claims and objections period before a final decision is taken by the Electoral Registration Officer.
Assistance available through BLOs and helpline
The Election Commission has advised voters facing difficulties in filling forms, locating electoral details, or contacting BLOs to seek assistance through:
- Their local Booth Level Officer.
- The voter helpline number 1950.
- The ECINet mobile application, which includes a “Book a Call with BLO” facility.
Officials emphasised that voters temporarily residing outside their native village, including those working in other states or abroad, may submit their Enumeration Forms online or authorise a family member to complete and submit the form on their behalf.
The Election Commission has appealed to all voters to actively participate in the SIR process to ensure that the electoral rolls remain accurate, inclusive, and free from duplicate or ineligible entries.
