A month-long door-to-door verification of electoral rolls has begun across East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya as part of the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The exercise, which started on Tuesday, aims to strengthen the electoral database by ensuring an accurate and error-free electoral roll. East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal has appealed to residents to actively participate in the exercise and not be apprehensive about the verification process. The objective is to include eligible voters, not exclude them, he said.
Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit every household between June 30 and July 29 to distribute and collect self-enumeration forms from voters whose names already appear in the electoral rolls. The Election Commission has adopted the 2005 electoral roll as the reference point for the revision since it was the last nationwide comprehensive electoral roll update. No supporting documents are mandatory at this stage, and electors will only be required to submit the duly filled self-enumeration form during the initial phase. In most cases, the completed forms will be sufficient, and only where further clarification becomes necessary will additional documents be sought.
The Deputy Commissioner also clarified that although the Election Commission has listed 11 indicative documents for verification, the list is not exhaustive. BLOs have been instructed to accept any valid document produced by electors, including certificates issued by local headmen or churches. Following the month-long field verification, the process will move into the claims and objections stage before Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) examine pending cases.
The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on October 7, 2026. To simplify the process, voters can also submit their self-enumeration forms online through the Election Commission’s portal. The district administration has established dedicated helplines, and electors may also seek assistance through the ECI’s helpline or approach their respective Booth Level Officers.
The revision will also facilitate the inclusion of new voters who have attained the age of 18 but are not reflected in the 2005 electoral roll. Such eligible citizens can apply for registration using Form 6, which BLOs will also facilitate during the house-to-house visits. East Khasi Hills has 1,021 polling stations, with an equal number of Booth Level Officers assigned to carry out the verification exercise.
The BLOs will carry pre-filled forms generated from the 2025 electoral roll using data already mapped by the administration, making the verification process quicker for most households. The Deputy Commissioner expressed confidence that only a limited number of cases would require hearings or additional scrutiny. Deletions from the electoral roll, wherever necessary, would primarily relate to deceased voters, duplicate entries, individuals who have permanently shifted elsewhere, or persons found to be ineligible under the law.
The exercise will be conducted uniformly across all parts of the district, including Shillong, Mawkynrew, Shella, and Pynursla. Responding to concerns arising from reports of voter exclusions in other parts of the country, the Deputy Commissioner acknowledged that some anxiety among electors was understandable. However, he said the district administration was working closely with traditional heads and community representatives to spread awareness and address public concerns. _I understand that people may be worried, but there is no reason to fear.
The administration is here to assist every eligible voter throughout the process_, he said, adding that officials would rather answer repeated queries than risk leaving out any genuine elector.
