On December 9, 2025, the Supreme Court strongly reprimanded the Election Commission of India (EC) for its repetitive and mechanical replies to voter issues during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Chief Justice Surya Kant expressed frustration as the EC repeated statistics instead of addressing actual problems faced by voters. The court heard petitions seeking extra time for people in Tamil Nadu’s hilly regions, many of whom are migrant workers traveling for the Sabarimala pilgrimage and returning only after the enumeration deadline of December 11. The EC responded by stating, “99.27% enumeration forms were received and digitised in Tamil Nadu,” which the Chief Justice called “mechanical and cyclostyled.” An applicant stated that 56 lakh people still had not submitted their forms in Tamil Nadu. Similarly, Kerala requested a two-week extension, as over 20 lakh voters had yet to submit forms. Senior advocate P.V. Surendranath cited students and professionals awaiting holidays to comply. The EC replied that 97.42% of forms were digitised in Kerala. The court scheduled further hearings for December 18. Justice Joymalya Bagchi raised concerns about the booth-level officers (BLOs) being overworked. The EC countered, saying each BLO has 37 days to visit about 1,200 voters and could manage the workload. Justice Bagchi stressed the hard physical work involved, dismissing the EC’s “desk work” portrayal. Regarding reported violence and political pressure on BLOs, especially in West Bengal and Kerala, the EC blamed ruling parties hostile to SIR. The court firmly told the EC and States that they must protect the BLOs, with Chief Justice Kant stating, “BLOs have to be protected by you and the State concerned.” EC counsel Rakesh Dwivedi assured the court that the EC would take strong action to guard BLOs and can call in Central forces if local police fail. The court questioned why such powers were not yet used. The Supreme Court’s firm stance highlights the urgency to address voters’ difficulties and protect officials during this critical revision exercise ahead of elections.