Election Commission Relieves Doorstep Verification Rules, Extends Registration Deadlines Across States

NEW DELHI — In a major relief for voters navigating the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on September 26, 2026, that citizens flagged for technical discrepancies will no longer need to physically visit electoral offices.

Instead, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct home visits to collect necessary documentation directly from affected citizens and upload them to the ECINet platform. The poll body clarified that in-person or online hearings will be restricted strictly to exceptional circumstances, where electors may also authorize an adult family member to represent them.

Key Administrative Directives

• Filing Timeline Extensions: Extending windows upon state requests, the ECI pushed the deadline for claims and objections to October 30, 2026, in Delhi (with disposal by November 30) and October 12, 2026, in Maharashtra (disposal by November 10).

• Inclusion Drives: District officers have been instructed to run targeted camps and help desks for vulnerable populations, including homeless citizens, night shelter residents, and daily laborers.
• Continuous Enrollment: With SIR already wrapped up in 20 States and Union Territories (including Bihar and West Bengal), left-out citizens and newly eligible young voters can still submit Form 6 under continuous updation drives.
• System Oversight & Internal Matters: The Supreme Court affirmed the validity of the SIR Form 6 declaration. Meanwhile, an expert panel involving IIT/IIIT representatives is reviewing the ECINet portal's statutory compliance. The ECI also addressed internal communications, clarifying that a recent letter to the Cabinet Secretary concerned deputation matters rather than policy shifts.