The directive, issued on Thursday, obliges 17 states and UTs to carry out a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of their electoral rolls up to a new cut‑off date of January 1, 2027.
This move follows weeks of nationwide protests against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which many voters claim has left inaccuracies in their voter cards. The ECI invoked Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, to expedite the process amid mounting pressure from civil‑society groups.
The SSR 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. Each region will receive a revised voter list that excludes those who have relocated and corrects name spellings flagged during the SIR.
The Commission said the schedule for the SSR in states and UTs where the SIR is either ongoing or recently finished will be announced next month. The timing of the revisions is crucial, as it could affect the preparation for the 2027 general elections, where voter turnout is expected to rise.
Sundar Rao, a 55‑year‑old farmer from Tamil Nadu, told reporters he had to travel 20 km to verify his name after the SIR mistakenly listed him as a duplicate. He hopes the SSR will finally correct the error before the next voting cycle.
The ECI’s next step is to publish the detailed timetable for each state, which will dictate when local election officials must reconcile the rolls and notify voters of any changes. The public will be able to review the updated lists online, with a 30‑day window for objections.