New Delhi, Oct. 15 -- The Election Commission on Thursday ordered an annual special summary revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in 17 states and Union territories, including five states scheduled to hold assembly elections early next year. The final voter lists will be published on January 4, 2027, with January 1, 2027, set as the qualifying date for enrolment.
The exercise aims to register eligible voters, particularly young and first-time electors, correct errors in existing entries and improve the accuracy of electoral rolls. A senior EC functionary said the annual revision is mandated under election law and is conducted specifically in poll-bound states.
The revision will cover Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
The commission said voters turning 18 on or before January 1, 2027, would be encouraged to submit enrolment forms. This will allow eligible young people to register ahead of elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab.
Unlike the special intensive revision (SIR), the SSR will not involve door-to-door visits by booth-level officers (BLOs), as the intensive exercise has already been completed in these states and most electors have been identified. Assam underwent a special revision instead of SIR due to legal considerations.
For the first time, political parties will receive readable copies of draft and final electoral rolls in both printed and digital formats. Candidates contesting elections in the five poll-bound states will also be provided copies, while electoral registration officers will make the rolls available for purchase to other interested persons before the elections.
The 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly's term ends on May 22, 2027. The terms of the assemblies in Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand expire on different dates in March 2027.
Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the commission can conduct elections earlier than six months before an assembly's term expires.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.