Delhi SIR deadline revised for fourth time, final roll now on December 4

The deadline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi has been revised for the fourth time, with the final roll now set for December 4, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI). This extension comes after the Chief Executive Officer of Delhi made a request to the ECI, as noted in a letter dated September 23.

The revised schedule was issued in response to this request. The final roll publication was previously set for November 4, October 7, October 19, and October 27, with the latest extension providing residents with an additional month to file claims and objections until October 30. The deadline for the disposal of notices, claims, and objections has also been extended to November 30.

To streamline the process, the ECI has made it easier for voters who have received notices over discrepancies in their records. Instead of appearing at an election office for a hearing, booth level officers (BLOs) will visit their homes to collect necessary documents and upload them onto the ECINet platform for a decision by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).

This change was implemented in light of the low number of applications received during the claims and objections phase, with only 1.21 lakh Form 6 applications filed since the draft rolls were published on August 31.

The draft electoral roll, which included 97.5 lakh electors, saw around 47.5 lakh classified as "uncollectible" after being deemed absent, shifted, dead, or having duplicate entries. Among the 97.5 lakh who made it to the draft roll, one-third or approximately 33.1 lakh electors were issued notices to prove their eligibility. Prominent figures including former deputy prime minister L K Advani, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar received such notices.

The ECI directed district election officers to create helpdesks, hold special camps, and focus on vulnerable communities such as the homeless, sex workers, and transgender persons to increase enrolment.