India
Election Commission opens voter-roll revision across 17 jurisdictions
Eligible voters gain a formal route to enter or restore names
Eligible voters gain a formal route to enter or restore names
Millions of voters could gain or regain access to India’s electoral rolls through a new inclusion-focused revision in 17 states and . Ordered under of the , the exercise covers 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. It uses January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for new, unenrolled and prospective voters. Draft rolls are due November 12, with final rolls on January 4, 2027.1
The move follows controversy over the more demanding , which removed or left unresolved many names. In West Bengal, more than 58 lakh electors were excluded at one stage, while 38.20 lakh appeals were filed and most remained pending.3 Unlike that verification-heavy process, the gives voters a route to check entries, seek corrections or re-enter through Form 6. Electoral registration officers and booth-level officials will handle claims and objections through December 11, with decisions due by December 28. The process matters especially in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, where accuracy must be balanced against preventing duplicate or ineligible registrations.
The are scheduled to be published on November 12. Voters will then be able to check whether their names and details appear correctly and file until December 11.
are scheduled to dispose of by December 28, after which the final electoral rolls are due to be published on January 4, 2027. Voters whose names are missing or incorrect should check the draft roll, contact booth-level or electoral registration officials, submit or a correction claim where applicable, and use the available if a request is rejected.
The order covers 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 inclusion of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur, and Goa makes accurate enrolment and restoration especially consequential.
The Election Commission ordered a under , using January 1, 2027, as the . The inclusion-focused exercise is intended to enroll eligible voters, including new, unenrolled, and prospective voters, and correct existing entries after the .
From December 17, 2025, through August 7, about 34.13 lakh Form 6 applications were submitted in West Bengal. The applications included and people whose names had been deleted during the SIR process.
Election Commission data cited in court proceedings showed 38,20,683 appeals had been filed in West Bengal, while 37,18,452 remained pending and 1,02,231 had been . The figures kept attention on whether excluded voters could regain access before elections.
On March 10, the Supreme Court ordered the establishment of , including a mechanism for filing appeals, for people challenging adverse Special Intensive Revision decisions.
The SIR in West Bengal recorded as deleted at the draft stage. The exclusions triggered disputes over missing names, unresolved cases, documentation requirements, and how eligible voters could seek restoration.
The Election Commission said people left out during SIR, as well as young and first-time voters, could apply to the for inclusion through . was identified as the route for new registration or re-entry, while deleted voters facing could also use the designated appeal process.
The Election Commission began a , or SIR, in selected to verify voter eligibility and clean the rolls. The exercise involved more extensive verification than the usual and required officials to examine existing entries and supporting records.