Election Commission orders voter roll revision in 17 states, final lists by 4 January

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has ordered a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls in 17 states and Union Territories, with the final voter lists scheduled to be published on 4 January  2027. The exercise will cover states where Assembly elections are due early next year and is aimed at enrolling eligible voters, including first-time voters, while updating existing electoral records.

The exercise is distinct from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which has already been completed in several states, including Bihar. The Commission’s order does not announce a fresh round of SIR or state that the earlier exercise is being reopened. Instead, the SSR is intended to update electoral rolls with 1 January 2027, as the qualifying date, enrol newly eligible voters, correct existing entries and process claims and objections. The Commission has also allowed advance applications from prospective voters who will become eligible on 1 April,  1 July  and 1 October 2027. The completion of an SIR does not remove the need to update electoral rolls as new voters become eligible and changes in existing entries need to be processed.

In an order issued on 15 October, the Commission directed electoral authorities to publish the integrated draft electoral rolls on 12 November. The period for filing claims and objections will run from 12 November to 11 December, while the disposal of claims and objections must be completed by 28 December. Polling station rationalisation and rearrangement have been scheduled for completion by 2 November.

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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 clarified that the SSR schedule for 17 other states and Union Territories where the SIR is underway or has recently been completed will be announced later. 

These include Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura and Telangana. The schedule for Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, where the SIR has not yet begun, will also be announced later, keeping weather conditions in view.