EC orders voter list revision in 17 states:List includes MP and UP; SSR vs SIR explained in 3 points

The Election Commission has directed 17 states and Union Territories, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan, to conduct a Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls. The exercise will involve adding names of eligible voters and correcting errors in existing records. The Commission issued the directive to the Chief Electoral Officers of the respective states and Union Territories on Thursday. The move comes amid controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, during which around 13 crore names were removed from draft voter lists across 30 states and Union Territories. The Election Commission said the schedule for states and Union Territories where the SIR exercise is underway or has recently concluded will be announced separately. Young voters turning 18 in 2027 can apply in advance The SSR exercise will focus on updating electoral rolls by including eligible voters and correcting errors in existing entries. Young people who turn 18 in 2027 will also be able to apply to have their names included. Those turning 18 on January 1, April 1, July 1 or October 1, 2027, can submit applications in advance, subject to eligibility. Draft electoral rolls to be published on November 12 The Election Commission has set November 2, 2026, as the deadline for making necessary changes to polling station arrangements. The draft electoral rolls will be published on November 12. Voters will be able to file claims and objections regarding names or other details between November 12 and December 11. Authorities will resolve the claims and objections by December 28, with the final electoral rolls scheduled to be published on January 4, 2027. Five states set to hold Assembly elections in 2027 Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa are scheduled to hold Assembly elections in 2027. The SSR exercise will be conducted in all five states. The 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly’s term ends on May 22, 2027. The terms of the 60-member Manipur Assembly, 40-member Goa Assembly, 117-member Punjab Assembly and 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly end on different dates in March 2027. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Election Commission can conduct Assembly elections up to six months before the end of an Assembly’s term. EC directs review of polling stations The Commission has also directed officials to review the number and locations of polling stations. As a general guideline, each polling station should have no more than 1,200 voters. Officials must ensure that voters do not have to travel more than two kilometres to reach their polling station. Authorities will assess the need for additional polling stations in high-rise residential complexes, housing colonies and urban slum areas. SSR schedule for 17 other states and UTs to be announced later The Election Commission said the SSR schedule for the following states and Union Territories will be announced later, as the SIR exercise is underway or has recently been completed there: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Delhi, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura and Telangana.