Bhubaneswar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has flagged 58.36 lakh voters in Odisha for verification as part of its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative aimed at maintaining a precise and error-free electoral roll, according to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R. S. Gopalan on Tuesday.
Gopalan noted that the SIR process has now progressed to its second phase following the release of the draft electoral roll on July 5, 2026. Voters have until August 4, 2026, to submit claims, objections, and corrections, utilizing Forms 6, 6A, 7, and 8 for their applications.
In a media briefing, Gopalan reported that 20,12,577 names have been removed from the draft electoral roll as a result of this revision, reducing the total number of electors in the draft list to approximately 3.13 crore.
“Among the 58,36,341 voters earmarked for verification, about 12 lakh could not be traced as their details were missing from the 2002 electoral roll. Furthermore, 46 lakh voters have inconsistencies in their SIR forms that necessitate correction and further verification,” Gopalan explained.
The CEO indicated that notices have been created for the identified voters and are currently being distributed.
“Almost all notices have been printed, and the hearing process has commenced,” he added.
Gopalan urged voters to assist in the verification effort by providing necessary documents to the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) upon receipt of their notices.
“When voters submit all required documentation to the BLO, typically, they will not need to appear in person for the hearing,” he stated.
To accommodate vulnerable groups, special provisions have been established for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and those who are ill or residing in remote locations.
“These electors generally will not be required to appear in person, as BLOs will visit their homes to collect the necessary documentation, ensuring the process is accessible and convenient,” Gopalan remarked.
He mentioned that Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) are issuing notifications to voters whose details do not align with the records from the 2002 electoral roll or who have discrepancies in their information.
Voters are encouraged to visit the AEROs on the designated dates with Election Commission-approved documents to support their claims, and in certain cases, hearings may also be held via video conferencing.
Discussing the progress of the SIR effort, Gopalan highlighted that Odisha has 147 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and 994 AEROs overseeing the verification process, with plans to appoint around 400 additional AEROs.
There are currently 45,250 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) engaged across the state for this revision initiative.
Since the draft roll’s announcement on July 5, the Election Commission has processed 26,745 applications through Form-6, approximately 22,000 through Form-8, and 2,187 through Form-7.
Out of the planned 58,36,341 notices, 57,98,889 have been generated, with 7,93,490 notices delivered and 50,05,399 still pending.
The CEO encouraged citizens to verify their names and details in the draft electoral roll and to submit any claims, objections, or correction requests through their respective BLOs, the Voters’ Service Portal, or the ECI NET App within the specified timeframe.
The Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will evaluate the eligibility of voters based on the documents provided during the verification process.
The finalized electoral roll is expected to be published on September 6, 2026.
The Chief Electoral Officer’s office has urged all qualified citizens to actively engage in the revision process, emphasizing that public cooperation is vital for creating an accurate, inclusive, and error-free electoral roll, essential for a robust democratic framework.
