Mumbai, May 14 (IANS) In a massive effort to ensure the accuracy of electoral rolls, the Election Commission of India has announced the third phase of the ‘Special Intensive Revision’ campaign across 16 states and three Union Territories from June 30 to July 29. The final electoral roll will be released on October 7.​

Maharashtra is a key participant in this phase, with the electoral machinery set to verify the records of approximately 9.86 crore voters through door-to-door visits.​

Booth Level Officers will personally visit every household to verify the details of 9,86,44,413 registered voters in the state. To maintain transparency, the Election Commission of India has encouraged political parties to appoint Booth Level Agents to assist and supervise the process alongside the Booth Level Officers, the government release said.​

The schedule has been strategically aligned with ongoing Census activities to optimise the use of field machinery and personnel. The revision process is slated to begin in June and will conclude with the publication of the final list in October 2026.​

“The schedule for the third phase has been fixed, keeping in mind ongoing Census work involving field staff. In Maharashtra, the drive will begin in June 2026 and conclude in October 2026.​

“From June 20 to 29, 2026, training and preparation for Booth Level Officers will take place; from June 30 to July 29, 2026, door-to-door visits to voters will be conducted; on August 5, 2026, the draft electoral roll will be published; from August 5 to September 4, 2026, there will be a window for filing claims and objections; and on October 7, 2026, the final electoral roll will be published,” said the release.​

The primary goal of this intensive drive is to create a “zero-error” voter list.​

By visiting households, officials aim to identify and remove voters registered in multiple constituencies, strike the names of individuals who have passed away from the register to prevent fraudulent voting, and ensure that every eligible citizen who has recently turned 18 or changed residence is included.​

The Election Commission has issued a special appeal to all political parties to ensure their agents are present at every polling station, emphasising that their cooperation is vital for a fair and democratic revision process.​

Typically, voter list updates are “summary revisions”, where the onus is often on citizens to file forms for changes. However, an Intensive Revision, as the one announced for 2026, involves the administration proactively reaching out to every citizen.​

This move is particularly significant in Maharashtra, a state with high internal migration and rapid urbanisation, which often leads to discrepancies in residential addresses and voter data.​

By syncing this with the Census infrastructure, the government aims to achieve a level of data integrity that annual updates cannot provide, according to government sources.

–IANS

sj/dan

​