NEW DELHI — In a strategic move preceding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the national capital, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially designated Additional District Magistrates (ADMs) and Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) as Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) for all 70 assembly constituencies in Delhi..jpeg)
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The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi is currently streamlining preparations for the SIR process. A key component of this exercise involves cross-referencing the 2025 electoral database with the base year of 2002. Data from the February 2025 Delhi Assembly elections indicated a registered voter base of 1.55 crore across the 70 seats.
Dual Responsibility for ADMs and SDMs
According to a recently issued gazette notification, the ECI, in consultation with the Delhi Government, has mandated that ADMs and SDMs will serve as EROs. Furthermore, a secondary notification confirms that these same officials will also function as Returning Officers for their respective assembly segments, ensuring administrative continuity during the electoral cycle.
Alignment with District Restructuring
This administrative overhaul follows the recent reorganization of Delhi’s jurisdictional boundaries, which saw the number of districts increase from 11 to 13. Consequently, the District Magistrates (DMs) of these 13 districts have been designated as District Election Officers (DEOs). The CEO’s office is currently finalizing the logistics for the SIR, including the high-volume printing of requisite statutory forms.
SIR Timeline and Methodology
The ECI previously announced that the Special Intensive Revision is slated to commence in April 2026.
- Door-to-Door Verification: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct daily field visits to collect electoral details from every household.
- Data Mapping: The objective is to map the 2025 electoral rolls against the 2002 baseline data to ensure maximum accuracy and eliminate discrepancies.
Conflict Resolution: Census vs. Electoral Duties
The Delhi CEO’s office has formally requested that approximately 7,500 school teachers deployed for SIR duties be exempted from the upcoming census operations.
With the "House Listing and Housing" phase of Census 2027 scheduled to begin on April 15, the Revenue Department anticipates a significant personnel crunch. A senior official noted that while 8,000 to 10,000 government employees currently assigned to census duties may be granted exemptions, the department will seek additional staff from various government wings to bridge the gap.
Infrastructure at a Glance
Delhi currently maintains 13,033 polling stations. To manage this infrastructure, the CEO’s office has mobilized a workforce consisting largely of educators:
- Total Teachers Deployed: ~7,500 (from Delhi Government and MCD schools).
- Roles: Appointed as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and BLO Supervisors.
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