Gangtok , July 5: The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Sikkim, on Saturday released the key findings of the Enumeration Phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-2026, confirming that 4,33,294 of the state’s 4,71,018 electors submitted their Enumeration Forms during the house-to-house exercise conducted from May 30 to June 28, 2026, a participation rate of nearly 92 per cent.
The findings were released in a detailed press note issued on the day the Draft Electoral Roll was published, alongside a firm assurance that no name can be deleted from the draft list without notice and a speaking order from the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or Assistant ERO, as mandated under Para 5(b) of the SIR guidelines.
Massive Ground Operation Across Six Districts
According to the press note, the enumeration phase was completed through the coordinated efforts of District Election Officers of all six districts, 32 EROs, 37 AEROs, 75 Additional AEROs, and 572 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) deployed at 623 polling booths, supported by volunteers. Field representatives of all recognised political parties, including their District Presidents, actively participated, with as many as 895 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by them.
BLOs visited every elector’s home to distribute Enumeration Forms, followed by at least three visits for collection. BLAs were permitted to file up to 50 Enumeration Forms per day to ensure their active involvement.
The remaining electors whose forms could not be collected fall into categories including deceased voters, those permanently shifted or not found, those enrolled at multiple places, and absent or untraceable voters. The press note explains that BLOs could not trace these electors or recover their forms because they had become electors in other States or Union Territories, were not found in existence, did not submit the form by the prescribed date, or were unwilling to register.
The exact status of these electors will be known after scrutiny of the forms by EROs and AEROs. Importantly, genuine electors can still be added back to the rolls during the Claims and Objections period from July 5 to August 4, 2026. Electors found enrolled at multiple places will be retained at only one place.
Claims, Objections and the Right to Appeal
With the Draft Electoral Roll published on July 5, printed and digital copies of each booth’s roll have been provided to all five registered recognised political parties, and the draft roll will also be available on the CEO and DEO websites.
Booth-wise lists of absent, shifted, deceased and duplicate electors whose names do not figure in the draft roll will be displayed on ERO notice boards and published on the DEO/CEO websites, along with the probable reasons for non-inclusion. During the claims and objections window, any person may seek the inclusion of an eligible elector who has been left out, or the removal of an ineligible elector who remains on the draft roll.
The press note underlines a two-tier appeal safeguard for aggrieved electors: the first appeal lies with the District Election Officer, and the second with the Chief Electoral Officer under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Volunteers are being trained to help people file appeals, and a standard appeal format is being devised for wide circulation.
Special Initiatives During Enumeration
The CEO’s office highlighted several facilitation measures taken during the exercise. BLOs are holding special two-hour camps at their polling stations every Sunday from 12 noon to 2 PM to assist electors. The CEO held multiple press conferences and interviews with media houses, and BLOs were incentivised to create awareness videos in local languages explaining how to fill Enumeration Forms, an initiative credited with mass outreach. BLOs achieving 100 per cent form distribution in their areas were formally commended.
Meetings with political parties were held at every level, one at the state level, 12 at the district level, 32 at the Assembly Constituency level and 572 at the BLO level. Booth-level lists of electors reported as deceased, migrated or untraceable were shared with the BLAs appointed by political parties for verification.
A Media Monitoring Centre has been set up in all districts, and DEOs have individually addressed every issue reported through print, television or social media. Help desks for electors are operating in all DEO offices. Election staff and volunteers are giving particular assistance to senior citizens, persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups.
Young Voters Encouraged to Enrol
Young electors who have attained or will attain 18 years of age on or before July 1, 2026 are being encouraged to apply through Form-6 along with the prescribed declaration. Special campaigns will be conducted across the state to enrol all eligible young voters.
The final electoral roll for Sikkim is scheduled for publication on September 6, 2026. Electors are advised to verify their names in the draft roll and complete any claims or corrections before the August 4 deadline.
(Source: Press Note, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Sikkim)
