The Election Commission on Monday directed election officials in 20 states and union territories where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls had finished to launch special enrolment drives. The directive follows the completion of the SIR, which updated the rolls for the upcoming general elections.
Under the new order, district electoral officers (DEOs) and election registration officers (EROs) will conduct targeted drives to add voters whose names were omitted during the SIR, as well as to register young adults and first‑time voters. The Commission emphasized that these drives are part of the continuous updation process that ensures every eligible citizen can vote.
"Special drives shall be undertaken by the DEOs and EROs for the enrolment of left‑out and young/first‑time eligible electors under the process of continuous updation," CEO West Bengal Ranjan Kumar Bhaduri said in a post on X, stressing the urgency of completing the rolls before the elections.
Local officials say the drives will begin next week, with teams visiting villages and urban slums to verify identities and issue voter ID cards on the spot. A 17‑year‑old from Patna said the initiative gives him his first chance to vote in the upcoming polls.
The Election Commission has set a deadline of September 30 for the completion of these drives, after which the updated rolls will be frozen for the national elections slated for November.