Explainer.
SIR means Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. It is a full rebuild of the voter list. Election staff go house to house. Every voter fills a fresh form. The Election Commission of India (ECI) runs it.
Updated: 1 November 2026, 10:30 AM IST
Quick Read
- SIR rebuilds the voter list from scratch, house to house, through BLOs.
- It is different from SSR, the yearly summary revision that only updates the old list.
- The current SSR schedule for 17 states and UTs gives a draft roll on 12 November 2026 and a final roll on 4 January 2027.
SIR is not new. It happened 8 times between 1951 and 2004. The last full round was in 2002-04. Bihar saw a resumption in 2025. The Supreme Court upheld the ECI’s authority in Bihar on 27 May 2026, in the ADR case. That order is about authority. It is not a ruling on every SIR detail.
SSR vs SIR
SSR means Summary Revision. It happens every year. It updates the old list. Names are added. Names are removed. Details are corrected. The base list stays the same. SIR is different. It does not start from the old list alone. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visit homes. They list voters afresh. Every voter must fill a form. The new list is built from that work. That is why SIR takes more time and more staff. Desk comparison table: SSR base = old list updated, method claims/corrections, form only for changes; SIR base = fresh list built again, method house-to-house enumeration by BLOs, form fresh for every voter, last full round 2002-04 then Bihar 2025.
Draft roll, claims, and Form 6
After SIR work, a draft roll is published. Voters check the draft. If a name is missing, the voter can file a claim. If a name is wrong, the voter can file an objection. This stage matters. A missing name in a draft is not a final deletion. Form 6 is the form to get back on the roll. If you are left off the draft, you file Form 6. You give proof of age, address, and identity as asked. The officer then decides. Do not assume a draft omission is final. Check the draft first. Then file in time.
The new dates
The SSR schedule for 17 states and UTs is now set. The draft roll comes on 12 November 2026. Claims and objections run from 12 November to 11 December 2026. The qualifying date is 1 January 2027. The final roll comes on 4 January 2027. Desk calculation: The claims window from 12 November to 11 December is 30 days. The gap from the draft roll on 12 November to the final roll on 4 January is 53 days (18 days left in November, plus 31 days in December, plus 4 days in January).
Also read: https://indiapresents.in/india-bloc-cec-impeachment-show-delhi/ , https://indiapresents.in/ec-sir-deadline-extension-delhi-states/ , https://indiapresents.in/delhi-voters-sc-ec-deadline-extension/
FAQ
Q: What is SIR in simple words? A: SIR is a full rebuild of the voter list. Staff visit homes. Every voter fills a fresh form. The new list is made from that work.
Q: How is SIR different from SSR? A: SSR updates the old list each year. SIR builds the list again from scratch. SIR is much bigger work than SSR.
Q: What should I do if my name is missing from the draft? A: File Form 6 in the claims window, from 12 November to 11 December 2026. A draft omission is not a final deletion. File before the window closes.
The next step for voters is the draft roll on 12 November 2026. Check your name in the draft. File Form 6 at once if it is missing.
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