EC Orders Voter List Revision in 17 States, Final Rolls on January 4

The Election Commission on Thursday ordered a 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.

The exercise will cover Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab, where assembly elections are due in the coming months. The qualifying date for voter eligibility has been fixed as January 1, 2027, the poll authority said in communications to the chief electoral officers.

The revision aims to enrol all eligible voters, particularly young people and first-time electors, correct errors in existing entries and improve the accuracy of electoral rolls.

The EC said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has already been completed in these states, while Assam underwent a special revision due to legal considerations. Consequently, booth-level officers will not conduct fresh house-to-house visits during the SSR exercise.

In a new measure, political parties will receive readable electoral rolls in both hard and soft copies at the draft and final stages. Candidates contesting elections in the poll-bound states will also be provided copies of the draft and final rolls. Electoral rolls will additionally be available for purchase from Electoral Registration Officers before the elections.

The commission has encouraged those turning 18 on or before January 1, 2027, to submit enrolment forms to ensure they can register as voters ahead of the polls.

The 17 states and Union territories covered are 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 term of the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly ends on May 22, 2027, while the terms of the assemblies in Manipur, Goa, Punjab and Uttarakhand expire on different dates in March. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the EC can conduct elections earlier than six months before an assembly's term expires.