New Delhi: The Election Commission of India on Thursday announced Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls to be conducted in 17 states and Union territories, including those where assembly polls are due next year.
The SSR is to enrol eligible voters, particularly young and first-time electors, correct electoral roll entries and improve the purity of voter lists.
In a letter to chief electoral officers (CEOs) of these states and Union territories, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa, the ECI said that January 1, 2027, will be the qualifying date.
While the term of the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly ends on May 22 next year, the terms of 60-member Manipur, 40-member Goa, 117-member Punjab and 70-member Uttarakhand assemblies end on different dates in March 2027.
The Representation of the People Act, 1950, allows the Election Commission to hold polls “earlier than six months before the term expires”.
In its letter the ECI said in states and UTs where Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is going on or has just been completed (such as Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, NCT of Delhi, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, and Telangana), the schedule for SSR will be announced later.
Also, for Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, where SIR has not been started so far, schedule for roll revision will be announced in due course of time keeping in view their weather conditions, the ECI said.
The ECI said that applicants can voluntarily furnish Aadhaar number for inclusion of name or changes in existing roll.
“However, no application for inclusion of name in electoral roll shall be denied, and no entries in electoral roll shall be deleted for inability of an individual to furnish or intimate Aadhaar number,” the letter said.
The poll body further directed states and UTs to carry out extensive survey during the exercise of rationalization of polling stations for setting up new polling booths in the high rise/group housing societies/RWA colonies that have common facilitation area/community halls at ground floor within the premises and in slum dwelling clusters of urban areas.
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