Omission of an eligible citizen's name in the voter list or wrong information being entered may affect the right to vote. Keeping this in mind, the Election Commission has made preparations to start a new process. Special Summary Review (SSR) will be conducted in 17 states and union territories including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Punjab.
The Commission has directed the Chief Electoral Officers of the respective states to ensure registration of new voters and to remove errors in the list. In this campaign, along with the youth who are reaching the age of voting for the first time, attention will also be given to those citizens who, despite being eligible, have not yet been included in the voter list.
Preliminary voter list will be released on November 12
According to the instructions of the Election Commission dated October 15, 2026, January 1, 2027 will be considered as the main eligibility date in this campaign. The states and union territories included in the list include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Goa and Manipur. Apart from this, this process will also continue in Andaman-Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
According to the schedule of the Commission, the work of arrangement and reorganization of polling stations is to be completed by November 2. After this, the preliminary voter list will be published on November 12. Voters will be able to apply to add names, correct details or raise objections to any entry from November 12 to December 11, 2026. These claims and objections will be settled by December 28. After this, there is a plan to release the final voter list on January 4, 2027.
Youth will get the opportunity to get their names added
Citizens who fulfill the prescribed conditions to become a voter, but their name is not in the list, can apply for registration. Apart from January 1, 2027, the Commission has also made arrangements to take advance applications for the upcoming eligibility dates of April 1, July 1 and October 1, 2027. Action will be taken on these applications as per rules in the respective quarter. With this, eligible youth will get an opportunity to become voters.
What are the forms for name addition and correction?
Form-6 will be used to register a new name. Form-6A is prescribed for Indian voters living abroad. Form-7 can be filled to lodge an objection to the inclusion of a person's name in the list or to demand deletion of the name. At the same time, Form-8 will be used for changing address, correction in personal details, changing voter identity card or registering as a disabled voter.
The Commission has clarified that giving Aadhaar number in the application will be voluntary. No eligible citizen's name can be refused to be added to the voter list merely because Aadhaar is not provided, nor can any existing entry be deleted on the same basis. Citizens will also be able to apply through the Election Commission's Voter Service Portal and ECInet App.
Additional investigation will be done before removing the name
To remove the possibility of wrongful deletion of names from the voter list, the Commission has made special rules for verification. If the proposal for deletion of names exceeds two per cent of the total voter strength of a polling station, the Electoral Registration Officer will have to re-verify in person. If a person files an objection in more than five cases, the related cases will also be investigated separately.
It will be necessary to follow the prescribed legal procedure even in cases of dead voters, people who have permanently shifted to another place and double entries. Where there is a proposal to remove someone's name, the person concerned will be given an opportunity to present his side as per the rules.
Changes in the system of polling stations also
The Commission has directed to limit the number of voters at a polling station to 1,200 under normal circumstances. On-site inspection will be conducted before construction of new centers or changes in existing centres. Emphasis has also been laid on keeping the boundaries of the centers clear and keeping the names of family members in the same section. Recognized political parties will be consulted before finalizing the proposals.
Special attention will be given to registration of women, transgender citizens, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, Scheduled Tribes and people living in remote areas. The schedule for Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Haryana and many other states will be announced later. Considering the weather conditions in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh, separate programs will be issued. The aim of the Commission is to include eligible voters in the list and correct incorrect entries as per the rules.