Odisha Expands Polling Infrastructure Ahead of Voter List Revision
Odisha has significantly expanded its polling infrastructure in preparation for the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The state has added 7,000 new polling booths, bringing the total from 36,000 to 43,000. This move aims to ensure no single booth serves more than 1,200 voters, improving accessibility and management during elections.
Preparatory Work Nears Completion
Additional Chief Electoral Officer Sushanta Kumar Mishra confirmed that preparatory exercises have been ongoing for the past five months. Although the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not yet announced a date for the SIR in Odisha, officials report that preparations are nearly complete. The core activity involves mapping voters from the 2025 voter list against the 2002 list, when the last SIR occurred.
Mapping focuses on historical voter data. Individuals listed in the 2002 voter roll, or those whose parents or grandparents appeared then, will automatically map to the new list. However, voters added after 2002 without ancestors in that list must provide documentary proof to validate their credentials as genuine voters.
Progress and Timeline
Mishra stated that approximately 70% of the mapping work is already finished, with efforts continuing. He anticipates few voters will be left out of this process. Once the ECI publishes the schedule, officials expect to complete the exercise within two months. "We are ready. Whenever ECI decides the date, the plan will roll out accordingly," Mishra emphasized.
Voters will need to fill an enumeration form as part of the SIR. This can be done either physically or online, and no documents are required for this step. Only those excluded from the ongoing mapping will have to submit documents to establish their credentials. Authorities note that since around 90% of voters in Odisha are linked to Aadhaar, the number of such cases may be minimal.
Current Voter Statistics
According to the 2025 voter list, Odisha has 3.40 crore voters. This includes 1.72 crore men and 1.68 crore women. The expansion of polling booths and the SIR exercise aim to streamline the electoral process and ensure accurate voter representation in the state.
