The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Kerala, has announced that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls will officially begin on November 4, 2025, and run until February 7, 2026. The process aims to ensure that the electoral rolls are fully updated ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

CEO Rathan U Kelkar detailed the timeline during a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. He emphasized that the process was designed to cause minimal disruption to the upcoming local body elections, despite calls from several political groups to postpone it.

From November 4 to December 4, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit households to distribute enumeration forms that voters or their close relatives must sign and return. The names of those who complete this step will feature in the draft voters’ list, set to be published on December 9, 2025. Voters need to submit supporting documents only after the draft is released.

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Between December 9, 2025, and January 8, 2026, voters can raise objections, request corrections, or apply for inclusions or deletions to ensure accuracy. Following this, the authorities will issue notices and conduct hearings until January 31, 2026, before publishing the final SIR voters’ list on February 7.

Kelkar highlighted that about 68 percent of current voters already appear in the 2002 SIR-based roll and will not need to reverify their information. Those not included in the earlier list can avoid submitting new documents by identifying their parents’ Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers recorded in the 2002 roll. Only about 10 percent of voters are expected to provide additional verification papers, for which the Election Commission of India has prescribed 13 acceptable documents.

The CEO assured that BLOs, who are distinct from local poll staff, will handle initial enumeration work to avoid overlap with the local body election process. The verification roles for polling personnel will begin only after December 10, ensuring the two exercises proceed smoothly.

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