SIR Phase 3: Election Commission Gives Left-Out Voters "One More Opportunity" to Re-enrol and Restores Old EPIC Numbers
The Election Commission of India (ECI) will give one more opportunity to voters whose names were left out of the draft electoral rolls during SIR Phase 3 (Special Intensive Revision). These are voters marked ASDD: Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate.
The order covers seven Phase 3 states that have published draft rolls but got extended timelines: Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland.
Deletion levels in draft rolls: Delhi 32.7% (the highest), Maharashtra 21.16% (2.07 crore names), Telangana 21.7% and Andhra Pradesh 10.78%.
Voters who qualify will get back their original pre-SIR EPIC number (voter ID number) when they are included in the final roll.
Booth-wise lists of excluded voters, with reasons, must be put up at polling stations, Panchayat Bhawans and Urban Local Body offices, and uploaded as PDFs on Chief Electoral Officers' websites. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit homes, working with political party booth agents and Resident Welfare Associations.
Procedure: voters still living at the same address submit a pre-filled Enumeration Form with Annexure-B (reasons for not submitting earlier), physically or on the ECINET portal with e-sign. Voters who moved within the state submit Annexure-A with Annexure-C to the ERO of the new area, instead of Form 8. For homeless people, a BLO's field verification report counts as proof of address. All applications will be verified by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) under Rule 21(1) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Electoral Rolls
An electoral roll is the official list of voters for a constituency. Only people whose names are on this list can vote. A Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a fresh, house-to-house check of the whole voter list in which every voter must fill an enumeration form, instead of the usual small yearly updates. The ECI orders it under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which lets it carry out a special revision "in such manner as it thinks fit".
Because large numbers of names were dropped from Phase 3 draft rolls, especially in cities, the ECI has added an extra chance for re-enrolment before the final rolls. This is meant to ensure that eligible citizens are not shut out of voting.
EPIC (Elector's Photo Identity Card): History, Purpose, and Current System
The Elector's Photo Identity Card, or EPIC, is the voter ID card issued by the Election Commission of India to every registered voter. It carries the voter's photo, name, and a unique alphanumeric EPIC number. This number links the person to their entry in the electoral roll. EPIC cards were introduced in 1993 to stop fake voting and impersonation.
The ECI has said voters re-included after the SIR will get back their old pre-SIR EPIC numbers. This keeps their voting history and identity continuous and avoids new duplicate numbers.
Representation of the People Act, 1950: The Law Behind Voter Lists and Seats
The Representation of the People Act, 1950 (RPA 1950) is the law passed by Parliament that decides who can be a voter, how voter lists are made and corrected, and how seats are allotted. The detailed procedures are in the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which set out the forms, notices and verification steps that election officers must follow.
All re-enrolment applications will be verified by EROs under Rule 21(1) of the 1960 Rules. Letting voters who moved within a state use Annexure-A with Annexure-C instead of Form 8 is a simplified route inside this legal framework.
- SIR Phase 3 states covered by this order: Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Nagaland
- Draft-roll deletions: Delhi 32.7% (highest), Maharashtra 21.16% (2.07 crore), Telangana 21.7%, Andhra Pradesh 10.78%
- ASDD = Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate
- Re-included voters get their original pre-SIR EPIC numbers back
- Same-address voters: pre-filled Enumeration Form + Annexure-B (physically or on ECINET with e-sign)
- Voters moved within the state: Annexure-A + Annexure-C to the new ERO; Form 8 not needed
- Homeless persons: BLO field verification report accepted as proof of address
- Verification by EROs under Rule 21(1), Registration of Electors Rules, 1960
- Awareness through local media, social media and public announcements (Munadi)