Ranchi: Voters in Jharkhand have been given more time to participate in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, with the Election Commission extending the deadline for filing claims and objections to September 15, 2026.
Under the revised schedule, the process of issuing notices and disposing of claims and objections will be completed by October 14. The final electoral roll will then be published on October 19, five days later than the completion of the disposal process.
Chief Electoral Officer K. Ravi Kumar said the extension was sought to make the revision exercise more convenient for voters across the state. District election officials had pointed out that several factors, including the monsoon, agricultural activities and the Shravani Mela in Deoghar and Dumka, could make it difficult for people to complete the process within the original deadline.
The draft electoral roll was published in Jharkhand on August 5. According to the earlier schedule, September 4 was the last date for filing claims and objections, the disposal process was to be completed by October 3, and the final roll was scheduled to be published on October 7.
The revised schedule will give voters an additional 11 days to file claims and objections.
311 additional officers deployed
The state has also appointed 311 additional Assistant Electoral Registration Officers to strengthen the machinery involved in the revision exercise. Their deployment is expected to speed up the processing of claims, objections, notices and other applications related to the electoral roll.
The additional officers will also help election authorities provide assistance to voters who may face difficulties while completing the revision process.
Voters urged to check electoral roll
The Chief Electoral Officer has appealed to all eligible Indian citizens to check the draft electoral roll and ensure that their names and details are correctly recorded.
Those whose names are missing from the draft roll have been asked to use the extended deadline and submit their applications in the prescribed format. Newly eligible voters, particularly young citizens, have been encouraged to use ECINET to submit Form 6 for enrolment.
Officials have also urged young voters to encourage eligible family members, friends and neighbours to complete the registration process.
For existing voters, any errors in details such as name, address or age can be corrected by submitting Form 8.
Officials asked to ensure voter assistance
K. Ravi Kumar has directed District Election Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers and Booth Level Officers to widely publicise the revised schedule and ensure that voters receive all necessary assistance.
The SIR exercise is aimed at making the electoral roll more accurate by ensuring that every eligible Indian citizen gets an opportunity to be included, while also preventing the inclusion of ineligible or foreign nationals.
With the schedule now revised, September 15 becomes an important deadline for anyone who needs to file a claim, objection or application related to their electoral registration.