Following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls starting next week, 12 states and union territories across India will see an increase in polling stations to reduce voting queues and enhance voter convenience.Bihar, which completed the voter list clean-up first, now has a maximum of 1,200 electors per polling station, down from 1,500 earlier, resulting in more polling stations.
The Election Commission (EC) has directed that new polling stations be set up in high-rise buildings, residential colonies, and slum clusters, with district election officers consulting political parties on locations.
Special care will be taken to keep families assigned to the same polling station to facilitate easier voting.
This effort aims to ensure voters do not have to travel more than 2 kilometers to their polling stations wherever possible, thereby encouraging greater voter participation and shortening wait times.
The SIR process includes home visits for voter enumeration and updates to electoral rolls.The states and UTs undergoing SIR are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The final updated electoral rolls are scheduled to be published by February 7, 2026, in time for upcoming elections.
This revision addresses issues such as duplicate entries, names of deceased persons, and foreign nationals in the voter lists, aiming for an accurate and inclusive electoral roll.
The EC’s continued focus on rationalizing polling station distribution marks a significant step in making voting more accessible and efficient for millions of Indians.