SR of voter rolls begins Nov 22; eviction-hit families can register via Form 8

Guwahati, Nov 18: The Assam Election Commission, on Tuesday, announced that a Special Revision (SR) of the electoral roll will begin on November 22, with January 1, 2026 set as the qualifying date.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anurag Goel, addressing the press at Janata Bhawan, said the exercise aims to ensure the inclusion of all eligible voters ahead of the 2026 election cycle, even as the updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) undergoes a separate publication process.

“The NRC data will be published later. The Special Revision is to make sure every eligible citizen is included,” Goel said.

CEO Goel clarified that the SR has been introduced in place of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), keeping in view the ongoing NRC-related procedures and Assam’s special citizenship provisions.

Explaining voter eligibility, Goel said that an individual must be an Indian citizen, at least 18 years old on January 1, 2026, an ordinary resident of the constituency, not disqualified under law, and not of unsound mind.

He emphasised that “ordinary resident” does not imply the need for a permanent residence certificate (PRC). Even individuals from other states who have been staying in Assam for a short period, whether a month or six months, and intend to continue residing in the state may register their names in the electoral roll.

A key component of the SR will be physical house-to-house verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

"Unlike the SIR, the process will not involve enumeration forms or document verification," he added.

BLOs will carry pre-filled registers containing household members’ details and verify each entry through physical visits.

“There will be serious house-to-house visits. BLOs will attempt contact three times before marking a household unreachable,” Goel said, adding that in urban areas at least one visit must be carried out on a Sunday.

If a voter has died, families can fill Form 7 for deletion. Form 8 will be used for address changes or corrections, and Form 6 for individuals who have newly turned 18 or missed registering earlier.

Ahead of the draft roll publication, the Election Department will also rationalise polling stations, reducing the maximum number of electors per booth from 1,500 to 1,200 as per the Election Commission’s latest guidelines.

"This is expected to lead to the addition of 1,826 new polling stations across Assam. District-wise figures will be announced once the Commission grants approval," Goel said.

The draft electoral roll will be published on December 27, after which claims and objections will be accepted until January 22, 2026. The final electoral roll will be released on February 10.

Goel urged citizens to complete registrations and corrections during the revision period between November and January.

“By February-end, election dates may be announced. After February 10, there will be very little time left for corrections,” he said.

To address redundant or duplicate entries, the Election Commission’s de-duplication software has been activated across all constituencies.

The system checks demographic and photo similarities, though it has limitations, such as difficulty detecting duplicate entries involving name changes after marriage. "The software will run for 48 hours," he said.

Responding to queries on the status of eviction-affected families, Goel said they may apply for registration through Form 8, subject to confirmation of prior voter registration.

Citing Election Commission guidelines, he added, “Even homeless persons or pavement dwellers without documentary proof of ordinary residence are eligible for enrollment.”

Political parties have also been roped into the process, with 61,553 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed across 29,656 polling stations.

“BLOs and BLAs will jointly take part in the verification process to ensure transparency and remove any suspicion of wrongdoing,” Goel said.

Citizens will be able to verify their names directly through the Voter Helpline mobile application and online portal by entering their EPIC number, eliminating the need to wait for physical voter lists.