The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday eased the procedure for voters issued notices during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, directing Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to visit their homes, collect documents and upload them on ECINET for a decision by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), instead of routinely requiring them to appear for a hearing.The decision came two days after Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) wrote to senior ECI officials seeking changes to the notice procedure.The CEO had sought two key changes — allowing EROs to exempt voters from personal hearings if satisfactory documents were submitted, and allowing voters to submit documents other than those on the ECI’s prescribed list.Also Read | Disquiet within, all three Election Commissioners meet, take first stepsIn his September 24 email, the CEO said notices were being generated for “un-mapped electors and mapped electors with logical discrepancies”. He pointed out that while exemptions from personal hearings were available for prominent persons and overseas electors, there was no similar provision for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable voters.The Maharashtra CEO S Chockalingam cited Rule 20(3) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, which gives EROs discretion over whether a person needs to appear in person. He proposed an “Exempted from Hearing” option under the ERO/AERO login, allowing an ERO to dispense with a hearing where valid and satisfactory documents had been submitted. Only cases where documents were “insufficient, unsatisfactory or not furnished” would then be taken up for hearing. He said this “would help avoid unnecessary inconvenience and apprehension among electors.”The ECI has instead decided that voters issued notices for being unmapped or for logical discrepancies will not ordinarily have to appear at the ERO/AERO office. BLOs will collect documents from their homes and upload them on ECINET. “Such persons need not be called for hearing to ERO/AERO office,” the Commission said.Hearings will be held only in exceptional circumstances, as decided by the ERO, preferably online. An adult family member can also be authorised to attend on the elector’s behalf.Story continues below this adThe Maharashtra CEO had also proposed an “Other/Other Equivalent Document” option as Option No. 14, arguing that the prescribed list was “indicative and not exhaustive”. This was particularly relevant for people from PVTG, homeless and CSW categories, who may not have documents from the prescribed list. The CEO proposed that where an ERO was satisfied with the “relevance and validity” of such a document, it could be considered while disposing of the discrepancy.Also Read | 14 times in 10 months, two Election Commissioners objected on record to poll panel stepsThe ECI has not specifically mentioned this proposal in its latest decision. However, it has directed District Election Officers to provide adequate help desks and hold special camps for people living in night shelters, labourers, poor people and homeless persons.The Commission has also extended Maharashtra’s deadline for filing claims and objections to October 12, 2026, and the deadline for disposal of notices and claims and objections to November 10.The ECI has also said that anyone whose name is left out during or after SIR, including young and first-time voters, can apply for inclusion through continuous updation. It has directed Chief Electoral Officers, District Election Officers and Electoral Registration Officers to launch a special drive for enrolment.Story continues below this adThe decisions were taken at the Commission’s September 26 meeting and have the approval of the full Commissio