The Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the deadline for filing claims and objections under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in three states and two Union Territories. The extension, announced on Thursday, January 15, 2026, applies to Goa, Lakshadweep, Rajasthan, Puducherry, and West Bengal. The new deadline for submitting applications and objections is January 19, 2026.
This decision follows requests from Chief Electoral Officers in the concerned states and UTs and is aimed at ensuring maximum inclusion of eligible voters in the electoral rolls. The extension provides voters with additional time to verify their details, seek inclusion through Form 6 with the required declarations, or raise objections to any inaccuracies.
The SIR exercise is a nationwide effort to update electoral rolls ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, particularly in states such as West Bengal and Puducherry. The revision aims to include all eligible citizens while removing ineligible entries caused by migration, deaths, duplication, or other errors. The qualifying date for voter eligibility for this revision is January 1, 2026.
The ECI had previously set a deadline of January 15 for filing claims and objections. The draft electoral rolls were published on December 16, 2025, following enumeration completion by December 11, 2025. The final electoral rolls are expected to be published in February 2026.
The extension has been welcomed by political parties and civil society groups, who believe the additional time will help prevent errors during the intensive verification process and strengthen the democratic system. The ECI has directed the Chief Electoral Officers to ensure wide publicity about the extension. Voters are advised to submit their applications or objections as early as possible and not wait until the last date.
In a separate development, the Supreme Court directed the ECI to consider extending the deadline for filing objections and to publicly display the list of voters removed from the draft electoral roll in Kerala following the SIR. The court's order came after hearing grievances that nearly 24 lakh voters had been deleted from the draft roll, and the list had not been made public, leading to confusion. The court has asked the ECI to examine all petitions related to the SIR in Kerala and consider filing a comprehensive response.
