Amid CM Stalin's opposition, SIR begins today across TN

Chennai, Nov 4 (IANS) The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list is set to begin on Tuesday (November 4) across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, as part of the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) efforts to ensure that only genuine and eligible voters remain on the rolls.

According to officials, the revision exercise aims to remove the names of deceased persons, those who have changed their addresses, and voters whose names appear in more than one constituency.

The Commission’s goal is to eliminate duplication and inaccuracies, thereby creating a transparent and updated electoral roll.

The enumeration process will continue till December 4, during which government staff, assisted by political parties’ booth agents, will conduct house-to-house verification.

The exercise will be based on the 2002 and 2005 final voter lists, which are already available with polling station officials.

Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik said polling officials will visit only those homes that featured in the 2002 and 2005 rolls.

“Officials will verify the details of existing voters and distribute voter registration forms. Residents aged 18 and above can fill in the required forms and affidavits, which may be submitted during subsequent visits,” she said.

Each polling officer will visit a household up to three times to complete the verification. Those whose names were earlier listed under their parents or grandparents must inform the officials for proper inclusion in the draft voter list.

The draft electoral roll will be released on December 9, followed by the publication of the final list on February 7, 2026.

Voters who have recently changed their address or turned 18 can submit necessary documents between December 7 and January 3 to ensure inclusion in the final rolls.

However, during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, several political parties opposed the timing of the SIR, arguing that it could create confusion among voters. They have decided to move the Supreme Court, seeking to postpone the exercise.

With the process beginning on Tuesday, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have embarked on one of the most exhaustive voter verification drives in recent years, aimed at cleansing and strengthening the democratic rolls.

--IANS

aal/dpb