The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday announced the rollout of Phase III of the ECI Special Intensive Revision process across 16 states and three Union Territories, including Punjab. The large-scale exercise will involve house-to-house voter verification and the restructuring of polling stations ahead of future elections. The latest voter verification drive marks a significant expansion of the ECI Special Intensive Revision.
According to the Election Commission, around 3.94 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct door-to-door visits to verify the details of nearly 36.73 crore electors. Political parties will also participate in the exercise through 3.42 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs), who will assist officials during the verification process.
The states covered under the ECI Special Intensive Revision include Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur. The Union Territories included are Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, along with the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Why Some Regions Are Not Included
The Election Commission stated that Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh have been excluded from the current phase due to operational difficulties and harsh weather conditions. Officials said separate schedules for these regions will be announced after the completion of Phase II of the Census process.
The poll body also noted that high-altitude terrain and snow-bound areas make field deployment difficult during this period. The ECI Special Intensive Revision schedule has been planned alongside the ongoing Census house-listing work to ensure smooth coordination between field agencies.
Voter Verification To Continue Till September
As per the Election Commission’s timeline, the voter list revision process will continue between May and September 2026. During this period, officials will conduct door-to-door verification, reorganize polling stations, release draft electoral rolls, receive objections and claims, and finally publish the updated voter list.
The ECI Special Intensive Revision aims to improve the accuracy of electoral rolls and ensure eligible voters remain included in the democratic process before upcoming elections.
FAQs
Q: What is the ECI Special Intensive Revision process?
A: It is a nationwide voter verification exercise conducted by the Election Commission to update and correct electoral rolls.
Q: Which states are included in the ECI Special Intensive Revision Phase III?
A: Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha, Haryana, and several northeastern states are included in the latest phase.
Q: Why has the Election Commission excluded Jammu and Kashmir from this phase?
A: The process has been delayed there due to operational challenges and difficult weather conditions in snow-bound regions.
Q: When will the revised voter lists be published?
A: The final updated voter lists are expected to be released after September 2026 following the claims and objections process.
