22 States to Update Voter Lists

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ECI asks 17 States, 5 UTs to prepare for next phase of SIR in April

So the poll body is moving fast on voter lists. The ECI wants 22 regions ready for the next SIR phase. The start? April 2026. In fact, officials sent letters to poll chiefs on Thursday. Plus, the work must finish at the earliest date.

States and UTs on the List

But here is the big list for this round. It covers 17 states and 5 union territories across India. Andhra, Delhi, and Punjab? All on there. Consequently, local teams must now map old files to new ones.

Moreover, teams must train booth staff right away. These officers will go door-to-door to check names. Previously, Bihar finished this task first last year. So the rest of the country must now catch up. Therefore, the system will be fresh for the next big vote.

Summary of ECI SIR Phase 3 (April 2026)

Feature	Details	Status
📅 Start Date	April 2026	Expected
🗺️ Regions	17 States, 5 UTs	22 Total
👥 Staff	School Teachers	Common Pool
📂 Data Base	2002-2004 Rolls	Mapping Needed
📊 Census Overlap	April 1 Launch	High Risk

The Census Conflict

Still, a major resource war is brewing. The 2027 Census also starts its first phase in April. The clash? Staffing. And both tasks use the same pool of government teachers. Accordingly, the ECI is meeting with the Census chief to fix the schedule.

But critics are already raising red flags. The Trinamool Congress says the ECI is breaking spirit of court rules. Why? Document checks. Plus, some worry that doubling up on work will lead to errors. Essentially, the state is asking too much from one group of workers.

Current SIR Status Across India

Then there are the states already in the thick of it. Twelve regions are in phase two right now. The catch? Constant delays. In fact, Uttar Pradesh has seen the most extensions so far. Indeed, keeping these lists clean is a slow, hard job.

Worth noting: Assam is the only state doing a “special” update. Legal snags with the NRC stopped the full SIR there. So they follow a different path for now. Ultimately, the goal is one clean list for every Indian voter.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the ECI SIR starting in April 2026? So it is the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists. Because of this, staff will check every home in 22 states and UTs to update the rolls.

Why is there a conflict between the SIR and the Census? In fact, both use the same government teachers as field staff. Consequently, the state must stagger the work so teachers aren’t doing two jobs at once.

Which states are in the April 2026 SIR phase? But the list includes Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, and 18 others. These are the last regions to undergo the full update process.

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