The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, on Friday, May 18 2026, refused to push back the deadline for the Special Intensive Revision of Kerala’s electoral rolls. The bench, joined by Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, told petitioners that the ongoing verification process left room for corrections, and that the Election Commission (EC) would examine any representations.
The SIR, a nationwide mechanism to scrub and update voter lists, had just wrapped its verification phase in Kerala. The EC, after concluding the exercise, said affected voters could still file objections through the prescribed channels.
Petitioners’ counsel argued that a shortfall of time prevented many from filing enumeration forms, but CJI Surya Kant dismissed the need for an extension, noting the process was continuous. 'There is no need to extend time because it is a continuous process,' he said.
The court, however, granted petitioners the right to submit names of voters who missed the deadline, and directed the EC to compile a report on these claims. The EC was given four weeks to respond to allegations of large‑scale deletions, to be presented before the court.
This decision joins a series of cases in which the Supreme Court is scrutinising the SIR across several states, ensuring that no voter is left out of the democratic process. The EC’s report will be due on June 15 2026, after which the court will decide whether further action is required.