Shillong, Jun 29: A month-long door-to-door verification of electoral rolls will begin across East Khasi Hills on Tuesday as part of the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR), with district authorities assuring voters that the exercise is intended to strengthen the electoral database rather than remove genuine electors.
Addressing reporters today, East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal appealed to residents to actively participate in the exercise and not be apprehensive about the verification process.
“The objective is to ensure an accurate and error-free electoral roll. This exercise is meant to include eligible voters, not exclude them,” he said.
According to the Deputy Commissioner, 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.
Baranwal clarified that electors will only be required to submit the duly filled self-enumeration form during the initial phase and no supporting documents are mandatory at this stage.
“In most cases, the completed forms will be sufficient. Only where further clarification becomes necessary will additional documents be sought,” he explained.
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.
He added that Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) would assess each case by considering all documents submitted rather than restricting themselves to the indicative list.
Following the month-long field verification, the process will move into the claims and objections stage before 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 at 0364-2501255 and 0364-2501228, while electors may also seek assistance through the ECI’s 1950 helpline or approach their respective Booth Level Officers.
Baranwal said 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.
Baranwal expressed confidence that only a limited number of cases would require hearings or additional scrutiny.
He noted that 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, Baranwal 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.
The SIR has been a controversial process in other states, such as Assam and West Bengal recently, where opposition parties claimed that the ECI targetted minorities specifically in order to weaken non-Bharatiya Janata Party candidates at election time. The ECI denied this.
