Telangana SIR Notice: How to Reply to ERO and Which Documents Are Needed to Retain Your Name in Final Voter List?
Hyderabad: Telangana voters who have received a notice under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls must respond to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) with supporting documents, wherever required.
The notice stage follows the publication of the draft electoral roll on August 17. Telangana has flagged over 92 lakh electors for discrepancies or failure to link their details with the previous SIR electoral roll.
Many voters are now asking an important question: What should be done after receiving an SIR notice, and which documents should be submitted to ensure inclusion in the final voter list?
What to do after receiving an SIR notice?
First, carefully check the reason mentioned in the notice.
The notice may relate to a mismatch in the elector’s details or an inability to link the voter with the previous SIR records.
The voter should prepare a written response addressing the discrepancy mentioned by the ERO. Supporting documents should be attached wherever applicable.
The response and documents can be submitted to the BLO, AERO or ERO, according to the instructions in the notice. The Telangana CEO has also provided an online facility to submit documents against an SIR notice.
The ERO or AERO can seek additional information if the submitted explanation or documents are not considered sufficient.
Which documents can be submitted?
The Election Commission has prescribed an indicative list of documents for the notice and verification stage.
These include:
- Birth Certificate issued by the competent authority
- Passport
- Matriculation or recognised educational certificate
- Permanent Residence Certificate
- Government-issued identity card
- Pension Payment Order issued to eligible government employees or pensioners
- Government or local-authority documents issued before the prescribed date
- Forest Rights Certificate
- SC/ST/OBC or other applicable caste certificate
- Family Register maintained by the government or local authority
- Government land or house allotment certificate
- Aadhaar, subject to the ECI’s prescribed directions
The ECI states that the list is indicative and not exhaustive. Documents should be self-attested where required and should establish the relevant date or place of birth.
Documents depend on date of birth
The documents required can also depend on when the elector was born.
Born in India before July 1, 1987:
One document relating to the elector that establishes the date or place of birth can be submitted.
Born between July 1, 1987 and December 2, 2004:
A document relating to the elector and a document relating to either the father or mother may be required.
Born after December 2, 2004:
Documents relating to the elector, father and mother may be required.
If a parent was not an Indian citizen at the time of the elector’s birth, the prescribed passport and visa documents may also be required.
What if your name is missing from the draft voter list?
Genuine electors whose names are missing from the draft roll can submit a claim for inclusion.
According to the Telangana CEO, voters who could not submit the Enumeration Form during the prescribed period can use Form 6 along with the prescribed Declaration Form during the claims and objections period.
The Election Commission’s voter services portal also provides facilities for SIR-related submissions, including submitting documents against an ERO notice and filing Form 6 for new voter registration.
What is the deadline in Telangana?
The claims and objections period in Telangana is scheduled to continue until September 16, 2026.
The notice and disposal process is scheduled to continue until October 15. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on October 19, 2026.
Voters should therefore avoid waiting until the last day. They should check the notice, prepare the relevant documents and submit their response within the prescribed period.
Why has the SIR process become important in Telangana?
The Telangana SIR exercise has identified several categories of discrepancies.
These include differences in names and ages, mismatched parent details and difficulties in linking voters with the previous SIR records.
The draft roll also placed more than 73 lakh electors under the Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate (ASDD) categories. Genuine voters affected by such categorisation have an opportunity to seek inclusion through the claims and objections process.
Important advice for voters
Do not ignore an SIR notice.
Keep the original documents safely available for verification. Submit clear, self-attested copies where required and retain the acknowledgement of submission.
Voters can also check their previous SIR details through the Election Commission’s voter services portal.
The objective of the claims and objections process is to ensure that eligible voters are not wrongly excluded from the electoral roll while incorrect entries are identified and corrected.