Domicile certificates submitted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearings in West Bengal will not be accepted as valid proof for now, a senior poll official said on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Voters who already gave domicile certificates might be called again for fresh hearings. The official from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office said only documents listing permanent residence by the State government are acceptable. "A domicile certificate does not meet that criterion," he said. He explained that domicile certificates are issued for certain groups like non-Bengali job applicants in the Army and paramilitary but may be given against norms. "The commission cannot rely on these documents as valid documentary proof," added the official. Separately, around 10,000 new voter ID cards issued in the ongoing SIR were returned undelivered. The cards were sent via postal services to registered addresses, but recipients were not found. The official said no immediate action will be taken until the final electoral rolls are published on February 14. "Once the final voter list is published, the cards will be resent to them following due process," he told PTI.