Delhi SIR timeline revised again, final electoral rolls due on November 4

The Election Commission has extended key deadlines for Delhi’s electoral roll revision, giving officials additional time for polling station rationalisation while nearly 47.6 lakh electors remain marked uncollectible.

The timeline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi has been revised for the third time since the exercise began, with the publication of both draft and final voter lists pushed back by a week.

Under the latest schedule, rationalisation and rearrangement of polling stations, initially expected to be completed by August 17, will now continue until August 24. The draft electoral roll will subsequently be published on August 31 instead of August 24.

The deadline for the final electoral roll has also been moved from October 27 to November 4. The revised calendar provides election officials additional time to complete the preparatory work and process voter-related records following the completion of the enumeration phase.

The SIR exercise began in Delhi on June 30 with the distribution of enumeration forms to voters at their residences. The enumeration phase concluded on Monday, with data from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) showing that forms linked to 97.51 lakh electors had been collected and uploaded to the official portal.

That figure represents around 67% of the approximately 1.45 crore electors recorded when the revision exercise started.

Nearly one-third of names marked uncollectible

Forms associated with the remaining 47.58 lakh electors, or roughly 33% of the electorate, have been categorised as “uncollectible”. The category covers voters who could not be contacted, may have shifted residence or died, as well as cases involving duplicate entries and other reasons.

As a result, the draft electoral roll is expected to exclude the names of a substantial portion of Delhi's existing electorate. However, the number of voters ultimately removed will not be known until the final rolls are released on November 4.

The revised schedule also changes the period during which voters can challenge or seek corrections to their entries. The claims and objections window, earlier scheduled from August 24 to September 23, will now run from August 31 to September 30.

The period for issuing notices and disposing of claims and objections has similarly been shifted. It will now run from August 31 to October 29, compared with the earlier August 24 to October 22 schedule.

Officials said the latest extension is intended to provide more time for rationalising polling stations. The Election Commission had previously granted two extensions to the Delhi exercise, with delays in digitising enumeration forms contributing to the need for additional time.

Delhi's projected level of exclusions at the draft stage is lower than that expected in several other major metropolitan areas. Bengaluru is estimated to record around 45% deletions, followed by Hyderabad at about 41% and Mumbai at approximately 35%.

The Election Commission has said that voters whose forms contain incomplete information may receive notices seeking documents to establish their eligibility. Those who are able to provide the required proof could be restored to the electoral rolls.

Genuine electors whose names are missing from the draft roll will also have an opportunity to seek inclusion during the claims and objections period. The final electoral roll, scheduled for publication on November 4, will determine the eventual number of exclusions and additions following the revision process.